Rachel K Jones1. 1. Guttmacher Institute, New York, NY 11038, USA. rjones@guttmacher.org
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study measures the extent to which women who access clinical abortion services in the United States report having ever used misoprostol or other substances to self-induce. STUDY DESIGN: A random sample of 107 US abortion providers was asked to distribute questionnaires to abortion patients. RESULTS: Information was gathered from 9493 patients at 95 facilities, and weights were constructed to make the data nationally representative of all US abortion patients. Only 1.2% of women obtaining abortions report having ever used misoprostol on their own to "bring back" their period or end a pregnancy. A similarly small proportion of women, 1.4%, reported using other substances, such as vitamin C or herbs, to attempt to end a pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Media reports of self-induced abortions using misoprostol may be exaggerated, but further research is needed to estimate the incidence of self-induced abortion among women who do not access clinical abortion services.
OBJECTIVE: This study measures the extent to which women who access clinical abortion services in the United States report having ever used misoprostol or other substances to self-induce. STUDY DESIGN: A random sample of 107 US abortion providers was asked to distribute questionnaires to abortionpatients. RESULTS: Information was gathered from 9493 patients at 95 facilities, and weights were constructed to make the data nationally representative of all US abortionpatients. Only 1.2% of women obtaining abortions report having ever used misoprostol on their own to "bring back" their period or end a pregnancy. A similarly small proportion of women, 1.4%, reported using other substances, such as vitamin C or herbs, to attempt to end a pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Media reports of self-induced abortions using misoprostol may be exaggerated, but further research is needed to estimate the incidence of self-induced abortion among women who do not access clinical abortion services.