ABSTRACT
The initial assessment of any women who requested termination of pregnancy in the first trimester is the same as that of surgical abortion. It is important to ascertain that the woman is pregnant and the pregnancy is intrauterine. An ultrasound examination should be done if ectopic pregnancy is suspected. The woman’s history should be taken and a physical examination including bimanual pelvic examination should be done. If the duration of pregnancy cannot be confirmed with history and physical examination, an ultrasound examination should be performed. This is because the complete abortion rate of regimens used in medical abortion is related to the gestational age. It is also important to know the hemoglobin level before medical abortion because heavy bleeding can sometimes occur during the abortion process. It is advisable to check the rhesus blood group and immunize all Rh-negative women with Rh-immunoglobulin within 72 hours of abortion.
