Medical abortion

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Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Medical abortion is a procedure that uses various medications to end a pregnancy. A medical abortion is started either in a doctor's office or at home with visits to your health care provider. Medical abortion doesn't require anesthesia or surgery, but it can only be done early in pregnancy.

Pursuing a medical abortion is a major decision with emotional and psychological consequences. If you're considering medical abortion, make sure you understand what the procedure entails, the side effects, and possible risks and complications.

Why it's done
References
  1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Committee on Practice Bulletins — Obstetrics. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 67: Medical management of abortion. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2005;106:871. Reaffirmed 2011.
  2. Pregnancy choices: Raising the baby, adoption, and abortion. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/Search?Keyword=abortion. Accessed Feb. 27, 2012.
  3. Induced abortion. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/Search?Keyword=abortion. Accessed Feb. 27, 2012.
  4. Clark W, et al. Misoprostol as a single agent for medical termination of pregnancy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index. Accessed Feb. 27, 2012.
  5. Spitz IM. Mifepristone for the medical termination of pregnancy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index. Accessed Feb. 27, 2012.
  6. Methotrexate. Micromedex Healthcare Series. http://www.micromedex.com. Accessed April 24, 2012.
  7. Shulman LP, et al. Overview of pregnancy termination. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 27, 2012.
  8. Misoprostol. Micromedex 2.0. Thomson Reuters. http://www.thomsonhc.com/micromedex2/librarian. Accessed March 23, 2012.
  9. Templeton A, et al. A request for abortion. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2011:365:2198.
  10. Gallenberg MM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minn. March 26, 2012.
  11. Harms RW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minn. April 12, 2012.
MY00819 May 31, 2012

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