title: Acceptability and feasibility of mifepristone-misoprostol for menstrual regulation in Bangladesh.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Annually, more than 700,000 women turn to menstrual regulation, or uterine evacuation with vacuum aspiration; many more resort to unsafe abortion. Using pills for the evacuation of the uterus could increase women's access to safe menstrual regulation services and reduce the high levels of abortion- and menstrual regulation- related morbidity in Bangladesh.
  
  
  METHODS
  At 10 facilities in Bangladesh, 651 consenting women who were seeking menstrual regulation services and who were 63 days or less past their last menstrual period received 200 mg of mifepristone followed 24 hours later by 800 mcg of buccal misoprostol, administered either at home or in the clinic. Prospective data were collected to determine women's experience and satisfaction with the procedure, menstrual regulation outcome, and the human and physical resources required for providing the method. Focus group discussions were conducted with a purposively sampled group of service providers at each site to understand their attitudes about the introduction of menstrual regulation with medication.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of women (93%) with known menstrual regulation outcomes evacuated the uterus without surgical intervention. Overall, most women (92%) were satisfied with use of pills for their menstrual regulation. Providers faced initial challenges and concerns, particularly related to the additional counseling requirements and lack of control over the final outcome, but became more confident after successful use of the medication regimen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mifepristone-misoprostol can be safely offered within existing menstrual regulation services in urban and periurban areas in Bangladesh and is highly acceptable to women. Providers' initial concerns diminish with increased experience with the method.
authors.affiliation: Center of Reproductive Health, icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Anadil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.forename: Hillary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bracken
authors.forename: Heidi Bart
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raghavan
authors.forename: Noushin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Winikoff
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reichenbach
mesh_terms: D000019:Abortifacient Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D001459:Bangladesh; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008598:Menstruation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008600:Menstruation-Inducing Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016595:Misoprostol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000019:Abortifacient Agents; D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal; D008600:Menstruation-Inducing Agents; D016595:Misoprostol; D015735:Mifepristone