Women's preferences for misoprostol in case of early pregnancy failure

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the preference of women with early pregnancy failure for treatment with misoprostol as compared to curettage. Study design: Women with early pregnancy failure were interviewed and asked whether they were motivated to trade a non-invasive but potentially less effective treatment with misoprostol at the virtually 100% guarantee of complete evacuation after curettage. All women had a structured interview, in which they were informed about both treatment options. The women were asked for a treatment preference in case the complete evacuation rate after misoprostol was set at 100%. In case the women preferred misoprostol, the complete evacuation rate was subsequently decreased to 10% using steps of 5%. Results: The study group consisted of 64 women with early pregnancy failure. Seven women (11%) did not opt for misoprostol at all, because of fear of pain or bleeding using misoprostol. Fifty percent of the women would prefer misoprostol if its complete evacuation rate exceeds 65%. Conclusion: A majority of women would prefer misoprostol over curettage if its complete evacuation rate exceeds 65%.