Abortion Pills over the Counter: Maternal Life at Risk?

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the complications and consequences and morbidity following indiscriminate self-consumption of abortion pills reporting to a tertiary care centre. METHODOLOGY: This is an observational study conducted at Umaid hospital between March 2018 to July 2018 for 5 months.200 women were studied with respect to period of gestation, parity, clinical features at presentation and management in the institution. An analysis of maternal morbidity and complications was done with respect to surgical interventions, ICU admissions, need for blood transfusions. OBSERVATIONS AND RESULTS: In this study, there were 164 (82 %) cases of incomplete abortion, 26 (13 %) cases of missed abortion, 5 (2.5 %) cases of ruptured ectopic and 1 (0.5 %) cases of rupture uterus. (20 %) cases received blood transfusion, 5 (2.5 %) were admitted to ICU, CONCLUSION: Strict legislations are required to monitor and also to restrict the sales of abortion pills over the counter and access to abortion pills for the public should be only through centers approved for MTP. Educating the society regarding the need for medical counselling and supervision during an abortion, the risks of self-medication, creating awareness regarding emergency contraception and effective strategies to fulfill the unmet needs of contraception will be useful to curtail this harmful practice of self-medication with abortion pills.