Vaginal Misoprostol as a cervical ripening agent prior to suction curettage for first-trimester termination of pregnancy

A prospectic non randomized study was carried out in order to establish whether the use of Misoprostol (a single vaginal dose to be self-administered at home) proved effective at obtaining cervical ripening before the suction curettage procedure for first-trimester voluntary termination of pregnancy. The research was conducted for a 12 month period. The study group was made up of 80 nulliparous patients and 120 patients who had undergone a caesarean section in the past. 382 multiparous patients with unscarred uterus, who requested termination of pregnancy in the same period, acted as a control group. A significantly low need for instrumental cervical dilatation prior to the suction curettage procedure was recorded in Misoprostol treated patients: 10% versus 75% in the control group (p<0,001). © Copyright 2004, CIC Edizioni Internazionali, Rome.