There are different protocols for medical abortion throughout the world, but in Australia the accepted regimen is a two-stage process:
A single tablet of mifepristone 200mg is first taken orally. This is a progesterone receptor antagonist and blocks progesterone needed to maintain the pregnancy.
This is followed by self-administration of 4 x 200mcg misoprostol tablets taken 36-48 hours later. Misoprostol is a synthetic analogue of prostaglandin E1 which causes uterine contractions to expel the contents of the uterus.
For more information about the characteristics of surgical abortion, see Table 10.1.
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Australian context
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Medical abortion in primary care
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Ultrasound
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Contraindications to medical abortion
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Medical abortion and breastfeeding
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The process of medical abortion
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Follow up care after medical abortion
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Complications of medical abortion
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Management of complications post medical abortion
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