Self-administering abortifacient drugs without visiting the hospital and supervising a doctor can lead to risks of complications and even death.
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The Russian Ministry of Health has published a draft order on the inclusion of abortion drugs, misoprostol and mifepristone, in the list of drugs that are subject to quantitative accounting by subject. At the same time, Roszdravnadzor reports that the agency has already blocked more than a thousand sites on which prescription drugs were strictly sold without a prescription, which is called from under the floor. Why drugs for abortion in the early stages need special monitoring and how it will turn out for women who decide to terminate a pregnancy, KP.RU understood together with an expert, a gynecologist.
WHAT IS QUANTITATIVE ACCOUNTING BY SUBJECT?
Drugs that are on the list of thematic quantitative accounting are registered in special journals. Basically, these are medicines, which include potent poisons, psychotropic components and narcotics from the list of the Ministry of Health. It is proposed to enter two drugs that are used to terminate pregnancy, misoprostol and mifepristone, citing the fact that in pharmacies it happens that these strictly prescribed drugs are dispensed without a prescription. Recent inspections of Roszdravnadzor showed that drugs could be easily purchased on the Internet.
WHY ARE ABORTIFACIENT DRUGS TAKEN UNDER STRICT CONTROL?
Self-administration of these drugs without visiting the hospital and medical supervision (and should be taken in a medical institution and under the supervision of doctors) can lead to risks of complications and even death if a woman has an allergy or an undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy, for example.
At the same time, emergency contraception, which is taken after unprotected sex, will not be affected by the document. According to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, the new order “does not violate women’s rights,” but aims to take care of women’s health.
WHAT WILL BE THE INITIATIVE OF THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH FOR WOMEN AND WHAT ARE THESE MEDICINES?
The drugs misoprostol and mifepristone are used in schemes for abortion in the early stages KP.RU, said Olga Lutsenko, obstetrician-gynecologist, doctor of ultrasound, specialist in educational and methodological work of the MASC IAM RRNU of the Russian National Medical Research University named after N.I. Pirogov of the Russian Ministry of Health.
The mechanism of action of misoprostol is associated with uterine contraction and cervical relaxation, resulting in expulsion of the egg. Mifepristone, on the other hand, affects receptors for progesterone, a hormone that is necessary to maintain pregnancy.
“These drugs are dispensed exclusively by prescription, however, in life we observe a negative trend associated with the availability of these drugs due to alternative forms,” says obstetrician-gynecologist Olga Lutsenko. Medical abortion is not a psychologically easy event for a woman and often the adoption of this decision is hasty. That is why a special protocol has been developed for the medical termination of pregnancy, which includes a “quiet time” for at least 48 hours. During this period, a woman should be consulted by a psychologist to make the only correct decision for herself and avoid a fatal mistake. By having the opportunity to obtain these funds without the supervision and assistance of a doctor, a woman is deprived of the right to choose.
Often, in practice, there is a situation when a woman decides to maintain pregnancy after taking medication, and there are many difficulties and concerns about the safe delivery of a healthy child, the doctor shared.
“In addition, in life there are situations when these drugs are not used according to the indications, or outside the fulfillment of the necessary doses and regimens, without taking into account the contraindications, which inevitably leads to complications, up to the death of patients,” says Olga Lutsenko. – Mifepristone and misoprostol should be taken exclusively under the supervision of a doctor, so that in case of undesirable effects, such as heavy bleeding, the doctor can provide the necessary assistance and not waste precious time.
DOES THIS MEAN THAT PREGNANCY IN PRIMERAS STAGES CAN NOT BE INTERRUPTED NOW?
With the inclusion of these drugs in the list of medicines subject to thematic quantitative accounting, women will be able to receive medical care on the same basis as now, in accordance with the existing protocol for the termination of pregnancy, the doctor believes. The difference is that now it will be impossible to get rid of unwanted fruit at homebut.
