Abortifacient efficiency of 15(S)15-methyl-prostaglandin F2α-methyl ester administered vaginally during early pregnancy

Forty early pregnancies (menses delay 13 – 27 days) were terminated by administering four vaginal suppositories each containing 1.0 or 1.5 mg of 15(S)15-methyl-prostaglandin F_2α-methyl ester, one every third hour. In 14 cases serial measurements of serum estradiol and progesterone were performed during and after therapy. Uterine contractions and bleeding started 1 – 17 hours after administration of the first suppository. Abortion was complete after one week in five women (13 %), and after two weeks in 30 (75 %). A curettage was performed on eight women, residual placentral fragments were found in seven and pregnancy continued in one woman. Mild diarrhoea (65 %) and vomiting (40 %) were the major side-effects, despite premedication. Estradiol and progesterone levels fell progressively during the therapy. Self-administration of 4 or 6 mg of the methyl ester caused too low a rate of complete abortion for use in practice, but it may be a valuable and practical agent for preoperative dilation of the cervix.