title: Medical abortion: a path to safe, high-quality abortion care in Latin America and the Caribbean.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Abortion rates in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are nearly triple those in Western Europe, due to less use of contraception and highly restrictive abortion laws. Women resort to clandestine and often unsafe methods to end unwanted pregnancies, exposing themselves to the risk of complications and mortality. Medical abortion (MA) presents a safer alternative.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To present evidence of MA's contributions to reduced complications, describe strategies to enhance safe MA, and highlight existing barriers to access in LAC, while examining MA's role in newly legal abortion services.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Substantial declines in abortion-related morbidity and mortality and lower costs of treating complications are observed in LAC with MA than with other self-induction methods. Telephone hotlines, telemedicine and harm reduction models enhance access to safer abortion and help reduce complication rates by facilitating information on MA's proper use. Misoprostol is registered in most LAC countries, but access is increasingly limited by regulations and cost.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite highly restrictive abortion laws in LAC, MA increases access to safer abortion. Yet, significant barriers remain and much more must be done to enhance use of modern contraceptive and safer abortion methods among women in the region.
authors.affiliation: Gynuity Health Projects , New York, NY , USA.
authors.forename: Ilana G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Dzuba
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Winikoff
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peña
mesh_terms: D000019:Abortifacient Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000029:Abortion, Legal / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017691:Caribbean Region; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016595:Misoprostol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011275:Pregnancy, Unwanted
chemical_list: D000019:Abortifacient Agents; D016595:Misoprostol; D015735:Mifepristone