Mifepristone Versus Misoprostol for Cervical Preparation Prior to Surgical Abortion Between 11 to 15 Weeks
Status:
Terminated
Trial end date:
2014-05-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Surgical abortion in the late first trimester and early second trimester is usually performed
with the aid of a cervical preparing agent, which helps to open up the uterine cervix for the
procedure. Routine use of cervical preparants is recommended by several organizations during
this period of pregnancy before surgical abortion, especially in younger women or those who
have not delivered a baby, because their cervices may be more difficult to dilate without a
preparant.
The standard medication used for cervical preparation is misoprostol. Unfortunately,
misoprostol may cause uncomfortable uterine cramping and vaginal bleeding in patients who use
it. Another medication called mifepristone has been shown to dilate the cervix better than
misoprostol in the first trimester, but little information exists about using mifepristone in
the late first trimester and early second trimester.
The investigators plan to perform a prospective, double-blind, randomized trial to evaluate
if mifepristone is a better cervical preparant than misoprostol. A total of 110 participants
who are pregnant women desiring pregnancy termination 11 to 15 weeks gestational age will be
recruited. Half will receive mifepristone and the other half misoprostol. The investigators
will measure the amount of cervical dilation achieved right before a surgical abortion to
determine if mifepristone is significantly different than misoprostol as a cervical preparant
at this stage of pregnancy. The investigators expect that mifepristone will work better than
misoprostol for this purpose.
The investigators hope to generate information about mifepristone so that women and their
health care providers can know more about mifepristone as an option for cervical preparation
before surgical abortion.