Demographic characteristics of women with self use of misoprostol for pregnancy interruption attending Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To ascess the demographic characteristics of pregnant women and their partners including details of self use of misoprostol for pregnancy interruption. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective descriptive study. SETTING: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. SUBJECTS: 103 pregnant women with self use of misoprostol for pregnancy interruption from June 1999 to June 2001. METHOD: All subjects were interviewed use the same set of questionnaires. RESULTS: The mean age of the women and their partners were 20.81 +/- 4.10 and 22.46 +/- 5.05 years old respectively. The mean gestational age was 13.85 +/- 5.37 weeks. The most common reason for pregnancy interruption was that they wanted to continue studying. The number of misoprostol tablets used ranged from 1-11 and 87.4 per cent of the women applied this drug via the vaginal route. The main source of drug purchasing was from friends, while the mean total cost was 663.16 +/- 711.32 Baht. No major side effect was detected in the present study. CONCLUSION: Misoprostol, the agent primarily used for gastric and duodenal ulcer prevention, is now used by pregnant women to interrupt their pregnancies. The present study is only the evidence reflecting the tip of the iceberg in this society, changing in sexual behavior, change in abortion techniques, and knowledge on contraception. Though major complications were not found in this study, misoprostol should not be considered safe, because several patients have encountered bleeding or incomplete abortion and required hospital stay.