Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
Cermes3-IRIS, EHESS, Paris, France.
BMJ Sex Reprod Health. 2021 Apr;47(2):144-149. doi: 10.1136/bmjsrh-2020-200661. Epub 2020 Jul 27.
Between 2017 and 2019, legislation was introduced in the UK that approved the home as a place for self-administration of misoprostol for early medical abortion. While research has shown that early medical abortion at home is as safe as in a clinical setting, women's experiences in the UK in the light of this change have not yet been investigated. This qualitative research explored the experiences of women in one region of Scotland, UK who accessed early medical abortion with home self-administration of misoprostol.
Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 women who had recently undergone early medical abortion (≤69 days' gestation) with home self-administration of misoprostol. The data were analysed thematically using an approach informed by the Framework analytic approach.
Women appreciated the flexibility that home administration of misoprostol offered, including the opportunity to control the timing of the abortion. This was particularly important for women who sought not to disclose the abortion to others. Most women valued being in the comfort and privacy of the home when preparing for self-administration, although a small number highlighted some concerns about being at home. Most women reported that self-administration of misoprostol was straightforward; however, some expressed concerns around assessing whether their experiences were 'normal'.
Women welcomed the opportunity for home self-administration of misoprostol. To further improve women's early medical abortion experience we suggest that the legislation be amended so that women can self-administer in an appropriate non-clinical setting, not just their home.
在 2017 年至 2019 年期间，英国出台了一项立法，批准将家庭作为自行使用米索前列醇进行早期药物流产的场所。虽然研究表明，在家中进行早期药物流产与在临床环境中一样安全，但英国女性在这一变化下的体验尚未得到调查。这项定性研究探讨了苏格兰一个地区的 20 名女性的经历，她们在家中自行使用米索前列醇进行早期药物流产。
对最近在家中自行使用米索前列醇进行早期药物流产（≤69 天妊娠）的 20 名女性进行了定性访谈。使用框架分析方法的方法对数据进行了主题分析。
女性赞赏米索前列醇在家中自行管理所提供的灵活性，包括控制流产时间的机会。这对于那些试图不向他人透露流产的女性来说尤为重要。大多数女性都非常重视在家中准备自行管理时的舒适和隐私，但也有少数人对在家中的一些担忧表示关注。大多数女性报告说，自行使用米索前列醇很简单；然而，一些人对评估自己的经历是否“正常”表示担忧。
女性欢迎在家中自行使用米索前列醇的机会。为了进一步改善女性的早期药物流产体验，我们建议修改立法，使女性可以在适当的非临床环境中自行管理，而不仅仅是在家中。
