Twenty years of postabortion care (PAC) studies yield strong evidence that:
- Misoprostol and vacuum aspiration are comparable in safety and effectiveness for treating incomplete abortion.
- Misoprostol, which can be provided by trained nurses and midwives, shows substantial promise for extending PAC services to secondary hospitals and primary health posts.
- Postabortion family planning uptake generally increases rapidlyâand unintended pregnancies and repeat abortions can decline as a resultâwhen a range of free contraceptives, including long-acting methods, are offered at the point of treatment; male involvement in counselingâalways with the womanâs concurrenceâcan increase family planning uptake and support.
