Medical abortion: Taking first tablet at home after 12 weeks of pregnancy is safe, study reports

Women who began the process of medical abortion at home after 12 weeks of pregnancy were more likely to complete their care in hospital without an overnight stay than those who started in hospital, a study published in the Lancet has reported.1

The randomised controlled trial of 435 women found that 71% (156 of 220) of patients who took the first dose of misoprostol at home spent fewer than nine hours in hospital (the cut off for day case procedures) compared with 46% (99 of 215) of patients who took the first dose of misoprostol at hospital (difference 24.9%; 95% confidence interval 15.4 to 34.3; …