The drug allows women to obtain a medical abortion within seven weeks or less of a pregnancy. The study was conducted by the Population Council on 2,121 women at abortion clinics, university hospitals and 17 Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide. Investigators found that the drug was most effective when taken in the first 49 days of pregnancy. Overall results showed a 92 percent success rate in ending pregnancies.
Women visit a clinic three times during the procedure.
On the first visit women take a drug known as mifepristone, which blocks the hormone that is necessary to maintain pregnancy. Women return for a second visit to take the prostaglandin, misopostol, which causes uterine contractions that then expel the egg. A third visit is required to make sure the pregnancy termination is complete. Many women prefer the medical abortion over a surgical procedure, said Dr. Beverly Winikoff, Director of the Population Council s reproductive health programs. Winikoff added that even the women who took the pills, but had to have a surgical abortion due to complications, will tell you that they would try the method again, and they would recommend it to others.