Australia’s leading sexual and reproductive healthcare organisation, Marie Stopes International, today issued the following statement regarding the organisation’s plans to continue the pilot program for medical abortion using a methotrexate-misoprostol regimen:

“In August this year Marie Stopes International commenced a pilot program in NSW for medical abortion using a methotrexate-misoprostol regimen.

The results of the 36 clients who have chosen a medical abortion to date at the two Marie Stopes International NSW centres offering the regimen are consistent with similar methotrexate-misoprostol regime clinical studies conducted in other countries.

No adverse effects have been reported following the administration of methotrexate.

The most common side effect following misoprostol was diarrhoea (36%), followed by nausea (25%) and vomiting (18%).

The majority of women abort in the first few hours up to 48 hours from taking the misoprostol tablets.

Only 1 client required a surgical termination for a continuing pregnancy.

86% of women when surveyed at follow-up, described the methotrexate-misoprostol regimen as meeting their expectations or better than their expectations.

The pilot program will now continue in NSW until the end of the year, with a national (ACT, WA, QLD and NSW) roll out planned in the new year.

It should be noted that mifepristone - (RU486) – is a safe, effective medical abortifacient and the ideal method of medical abortion.

However, due to the delay in RU486 being readily available in Australia and the need in some cases for the option of medical abortion, MSI launched the methotrexate-misoprostol pilot program.

Methotrexate is a folic acid antagonist that affects trophoblastic cells so that they are unable to divide and multiply. As a result, the development of the placenta is halted causing it to be unable to support the embryo.

Multiple clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of medical abortion with mifepristone or methotrexate followed by a prostaglandin analogue. It has been concluded that both mifepristone and methotrexate, when administered with misoprostol, have high levels of success below or at 49 days gestation.

Methotrexate is licensed for use in Australia as an anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer medication. Doctors can prescribe drugs "off label", for any reason they judge medically appropriate, so long as the patient understands it is not approved for that use.

Access and choice are constant issues women face with all sexual and reproductive healthcare services.The provision of medical abortion in Australia will increase the choices available to Australian women faced with an unplanned pregnancy - a key health issue for Australian women with just over half of all women of reproductive age at any given time having experienced an unplanned pregnancy.[1]

While surgical abortion is a very safe procedure in Australia, medical methods of abortion have a number of advantages. Medical abortion allows women to terminate an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy at an earlier gestational stage than surgical abortion. In addition, the pregnancy termination is non-surgical, requiring no anesthesia.

Once RU486 is available via for mainstream distribution and purchase from a pharmaceutical company in Australia, Marie Stopes International will be able to offer this option to clients.(ends)

[1]What women want when faced with an unplanned pregnancy, Marie Stopes International/WebSurvey, Nov 2006