Date:06/03/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/03/06/stories/2003030607811200.htm

National

Plan to launch abortion pill in family welfare programme

By Gargi Parsai

New Delhi March 5. After the launch of the `morning after pill' (emergency contraception), efforts are now on to introduce a medical abortion pill in the family welfare system to reduce the risk of surgical methods of abortion. Trials have shown that early medical abortion is successful in 90 to 95 per cent women with negligible side effects.

Trials are now on at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences to test the efficacy, dosage and safety of the non-invasive drugs separately and in combination, for medical termination of pregnancy up to the second trimester — 12 to 20 weeks. Already permission has been granted for early medical abortion with antiprogestogen— mifepristone derivative, but experts are trying to evolve an appropriate regime and safety protocol to extend it to other drugs to cover the second trimester.

If successful and accepted then this method of termination of unwanted pregnancy would be a boon for women in the country, considering that 20,000 women die of unsafe abortions in India said Suneeta Mittal, Principal Investigator and head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at AIIMS. According to an estimate there are 6.7 million registered cases of induced abortion in the country on an average in a year. And this figure could be higher as there are several cases that not registered, according to her.

Why the procedure of medical abortion is preferred over surgical abortion is because the latter is unsafe in untrained hands and is invasive, putting women to risks of perforated injury to the uterus or the cervix. It must be done by doctors and paramedics, who have had specific training of six months with focus on counselling, contraception availability and monitoring. Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, the MTP Centre has to be registered, certified and well-equipped.

As against this, the abortion pill can be administered after specific training. In comparison, however, the pill offers women a better and non-invasive, safe choice with lesser-trained and thus more available manpower. Besides, there is no effect on future fertility unlike in the surgical method.

Experts are now seeking a national consensus for evolving proper guidelines for strategies for introduction of the pill on prescription, under medical supervision. The Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Sushma Swaraj, will inaugurate a National Consortium for the purpose here tomorrow.