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Despite the increasing availability of mifepristone (RU-486), little is known about whether women prefer it to surgical abortion. This innovative experiment compared patient preference for RU-486 versus vacuum aspiration.
The study involved 363 women in Scotland who were undergoing abortion at less than 9 weeks' gestation. The women received a description of each method and were allowed to choose their preferred procedure or have one randomly assigned. Twenty percent chose RU-486, 26% opted for vacuum extraction, and 54% agreed to be randomized.
Women who preferred RU-486 often expressed a fear of anesthesia or surgery. Those who chose vacuum extraction commonly cited a desire to finish quickly and to sleep through the procedure. Of women ran…