Misoprostol in women's hands: A harm reduction strategy for unsafe abortion

摘要

On any given day in Cuemavaca, Cape Town, Quezon City or Calcutta, a woman with an unwanted pregnancy seeks out misoprostol to have an abortion. She does not visit a doctor or clinic but seeks a pill that she has heard can help her end her pregnancy without the risks of more dangerous self-induction methods. Women living in legally restricted settings where they do not have access to high-quality safe services or where stigma, cost or other barriers prevent them from accessing existing services are increasingly using misoprostol to self-induce abortion instead of using sticks, acid, brute force or unproven herbal remedies. In doing so, they are significantly reducing the harms caused by unsafe abortion.