Self-managed abortion (SMA) refers to actions people take to end a pregnancy outside the formal health care system. There are a variety of reasons people choose to self-manage their abortions, and these reasons may vary based on regional contexts. For some people, medically delivered abortion care is no longer, or has never been, available in ... Read more >

Previable and periviable preterm prelabor rupture of membranes are challenging obstetrical complications to manage given the substantial risk of maternal morbidity and mortality, with no guarantee of fetal benefit. The following are the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recommendations for the management of previable and periviable preterm prelabor rupture of membranes before the period when a ... Read more >

As access to legal abortion in the formal healthcare system becomes more restricted across the United States (U.S.), there has been increased focus on understanding the ways that individuals may seek care outside of the healthcare system, including through self-managed abortion (SMA). SMA refers to any action taken to end a pregnancy outside of the ... Read more >

First-trimester surgical abortion is a common, safe procedure with a major complication rate of less than 1%. Cervical dilation before suction abortion is usually accomplished using tapered mechanical dilators. Risk factors for major complications in the first trimester include increasing gestational age and provider inexperience. Cervical priming before first-trimester surgical abortion has been studied using ... Read more >