Medication for Early Pregnancy Termination

Chohen and Teal discuss the medication for early pregnancy termination, including contraindications, safety, and efficacy. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved a medication abortion regimen in 2000, which consisted of mifepristone (a progesterone antagonist that causes pregnancy...

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Published inJAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association Vol. 327; no. 24; pp. 2446 - 2447
Main Authors Cohen, Rebecca H, Teal, Stephanie B
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States American Medical Association 28.06.2022
Subjects
Abortion
Cervix
Drugs
Endometrium
Federal legislation
Gestational age
Mifepristone
Misoprostol
Pregnancy
Progesterone
Uterus
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Summary:Chohen and Teal discuss the medication for early pregnancy termination, including contraindications, safety, and efficacy. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved a medication abortion regimen in 2000, which consisted of mifepristone (a progesterone antagonist that causes pregnancy tissue to detach from the endometrium) and misoprostol (a prostaglandin that induces cervical softening and uterine contractions). Current evidence-based regimens still rely on this drug combination, which is approved for abortions up to 10 weeks' gestational age. In 2017 in the US, medication abortions accounted for an estimated 60% of abortions at less than 10 weeks' gestation. Medication abortion is safe, effective, and widely used in the US and it meets the needs of potential patients. Even though certain state and federal laws regarding provision of mifepristone can unnecessarily complicate care delivery, medication abortion remains an important option for patients in early pregnancy.
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ISSN:0098-7484
1538-3598
DOI:10.1001/jama.2022.6344