Table 1: Participant characteristics
Characteristic
D&E 1
(n=111)
D&E 2
(n=88)
D&E 3
(n=21)
MI 4
(n=73)
Age (years)
18-25
26-35
>35
Median (IQ range)
49 (45%)
55 (50%)
6 (5%)
26 (23-30)
53 (60%)
24 (27%)
11 (13%)
24 (20–29)
10 (48%)
10 (48%)
1 (4%)
27 (22–32)
42 (58%)
29 (40%)
2 (3%)
Education (Grade)
< Gr 12
Gr 12
Median (IQ range)
63 (58%)
45 (42%)
11 (11-12)
33 (38%)
55 (62%)
12 (10–12)
11 (52%)
10 (48%)
11 (9–12)
30 (48%)
33 (52%)
Parity
0
1
>=2
Median (IQ range)
17 (15%)
41 (37%)
52 (47%)
1 (1-2)
29 (33%)
33 (38%)
25 (29%)
1 (0-2)
3 (14%)
2 (19%)
14 (67%)
2 (1-2)
11 (15%)
38 (52%)
24 (33%)
MI 5
(n=11)
D&E
(n=220)
Medical
induction
(n=84)
P value
0.523
25 (22–28)
5 (45%)
4 (36%)
2 (18%)
26 (18–33)
112 (51%)
89 (41%)
17 (8%)
25 (22-30)
47 (56%)
33 (39%)
5 (5%)
25 (22-28)
5 (45%)
6 (55%)
12 (11-12)
107 (49%)
110 (51%)
12 (10–12)
35 (47%)
39 (53%)
12 (10-12)
4 (36%)
2 (18%)
5 (45%)
1 (0 - 3)
49 (23%)
78 (36%)
91 (42%)
1 (1-2)
15 (18%)
40 (48%)
29 (35%)
1 (1-2)
0.414
0.765
12 (10–12)
1 (1-2)
Gestational age on admission
(weeks)
12.1-16.0
16.1-18.0
18.1-20.9
Median (IQ range)
55 (50%)
28 (25%)
27 (25%)
16 (14-18)
73 (83%)
14 (16%)
1 (1%)
15 (14–16)
16 (76%)
6 (24%)
0 (0%)
16 (14–16)
3 (4%)
26 (36%)
44 (60%)
Prior vaginal delivery
70 (72%)
54 (61%)
16 (76%)
0.840
0.167
0.517
<0.001
18 (18-19)
9 (82%)
1 (9%)
1 (9%)
14 (14-16)
144 (66%)
47 (22%)
28 (13%)
15 (14-16.6)
12 (14%)
27 (32%)
45 (54%)
18.1 (17.618.9)
51 (81%)
7 (64%)
149 (68%)
58 (78%)
1
<0.001
0.101
Prior TOP
Housing
Formal (House or Flat)
Informal (Shack)
2 (2%)
4 (5%)
0 (0%)
5 (8%)
0 (0%)
6 (3%)
5 (7%)
0.118
0.801
48 (44%)
61 (56%)
79 (90%)
9 (10%)
15 (71%)
6 (29%)
42 (67%)
21 (33%)
5 (45%)
6 (55%)
142 (65%)
76 (35%)
47 (64%)
27 (37%)
Persons per room
<=2
>2
Median (IQ range)
0.550
87 (80%)
22 (20%)
1.7 (1-2)
73 (83%)
15 (17%)
1 (0.9-2)
15 (71%)
6 (29%)
1.4 (1-2.3)
51 (81%)
12 (19%)
1.5 (1-2)
6 (55%)
5 (45%)
2 (1.3-3.7)
175 (80%)
43 (20%)
1.5 (1-2)
57 (68%)
17 (23%)
1.5 (1-2)
0.386
Languages spoken
Xhosa
English
Afrikaans
102 (94%)
9 (8%)
5 (5%)
37 (42%)
43 (49%)
47 (53%)
9 (43%)
5 (24%)
8 (38%)
43 (68%)
17 (27%)
2 (3%)
9 (82%)
1 (9%)
3 (27%)
148 (68%)
57 (26%)
60 (28%)
52 (70%)
18 (24%)
5 (7%)
0.703
0.757
<0.001
Paid for Work
38 (36%)
28 (32%)
8 (38%)
26 (41%)
2 (18%)
74 (34%)
28 (38%)
0.596
2
Table 2: Number and timing of visits prior to abortion
Total number of clinic or
hospital visits related to
abortion
1
2
3
4 or more
Number of days between first
clinic or hospital visit and
abortion admission (median,
IQ range)
Gestational age in weeks at
time of ultrasound (weeks)a
Median (IQ range)
<=12 weeks at time of
ultrasound (N, %)
Number of days between
ultrasound and abortion
admission (median, IQ range)a
D&E 1
D&E 2
D&E 3
MI 4
MI 5
(n=111)
(n=88)
(n=21)
(n=73)
(n=11)
D&E
(n=220)
Medical
induction
(n=84)
P
value
<0.001
0 (0%)
43 (41%)
35 (33%)
28 (26%)
9 (5 – 21)
0 (0%)
3 (3%)
72 (82%)
13 (15%)
28 (20 –
30)
0 (0%)
8 (38%)
10 (48%)
3 (14%)
21 (10 – 35)
0 (0%)
2 (3%)
15 (24%)
46 (73%)
35 (28 –
61)
1 (9%)
6 (55%)
2 (18%)
2 (18%)
3 (2 – 7)
0 (0%)
54 (25.1%)
117 (54.4%)
44 (20.5%)
17 (8 – 30)
1 (1.4%)
8 (10.8%)
17 (23.0%)
48 (64.9%)
30 (21– 56)
15.0
(14.0-17.0)
13.4
(12.3-14.7)
13.4
(12.9-14.0)
13.7
(11.9-15.4)
14.4
(13.1-16.0)
14.0 (13.0 –
15.4)
13.9 (11.9 –
15.4)
0.045
0 (0%)
11 (16%)
2 (12%)
23 (33%)
1 (9%)
13 (8.1%)
24 (30.0%)
<0.001
2 (2 – 3)
8 (7 – 14)
10 (7 – 14)
35 (24 –41)
4 (1 – 4)
6 (2 – 9)
31 (12 – 41)
<0.001
a Data available for 161 D&E clients and 80 medical induction clients
3
<0.001
Table 3: Procedure details, efficacy and immediate complications
Length of surgical procedure
(median, IQ range)
Time from 1st dose misoprostol
to completion of TOP (median,
IQ range)
Number of misoprostol doses
(median, IQ range)
Medications received
Antibiotics
Analgesics/anxiolytics
Antiemetics
D&E 1
(n=111)
D&E 2
(n=88)
D&E 3
(n=21)
MI 4
(n=73)
MI 5
(n=11)
D&E
(n=203)
10 minutes
(5-10
minutes)
10
minutes
(5-10
minutes)
10 minutes
(8-10
NA
minutes)
NA
10 minutes
(5-10
minutes)
NA
12.2 hrs
(12.115.2)
14.2 hrs
(14.1 –
15.1)
6.2 hrs
(5.3-6.3)
23 hours
(17-29
hours)
20 hours
(16-60
hours)
13.3 hrs
(12.1-15.1)
23 hours
(17-30)
<0.001
3 (3-3)
3 (3-3)
3 (3-3)
4.5 (3-5)
5 (4-11)
3 (3- 3)
5 (3- 5)
<0.001
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
4 (5%)
10 (48%)
20 (23%) 18 (86%)
63 (86%)
16 (22%)
1 (1%)
2 (18%)
2 (18%)
6 (55%)
14 (7%)
38 (19%)
0 (0%)
65 (77%)
18 (21%)
7 (8%)
<0.001
0.585
<0.001
42 (50%)
(95% CI:
39.4% 60.6%)
<0.001
Minor Complications
Haemorrhage not requiring
transfusion
Fever >38 degrees C
P value
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
96 (99%)
88
(100%)
18
(100%)
38 (52%)
4 (36%)
202 (99.5%)
(95% CI:
97.29% 99.98%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
3 (4%)
0 (0%)
0 (0.0%)
3 (2.4%)
0.024
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
1 (1%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
1 (1%)
0.293
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
1 (1%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
1 (1%)
0.293
Efficacy
Major Complications
Haemorrhage requiring
transfusion
Medical
induction
(n=84)
4
Additional curettage
performed
Incomplete abortion,
absconded prior to treatment
Transfer to another facility to
complete abortion
Expulsion of fetus prior to
D&E
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
33 (45%)
7 (64%)
0 (0%)
40 (48%)
< 0.001
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
1 (1%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
1 (1%)
0.293
1 (1%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
1(1%)
0 (0%)
1 (1%)
1 (1%)
0.500
45 (47%)
39 (44%)
3 (18)%
N/A
N/A
87 (43%)
N/A
N/A
Any minor complication
46 (48%)
39 (44%)
3 (18)%
35 (48%)
7 (64%)
88 (43%)
42 (50%)
0.362
Any major or minor
complication
46 (48%)
39 (44%)
3 (18)%
37 (51%)
7 (64%)
88 (43%)
44 (52%)
0.193
N/A, not applicable
a Efficacy was defined as complete abortion performed on-site with no need for repeat surgical procedure in the case of D&E, or no need for any surgical
intervention in the case of medical induction
5
Table 4: Symptoms and acceptability of abortion experience
D&E 1
(n=111)
D&E 2
(n=88)
D&E 3
(n=21)
MI 4
(n=73)
MI 5
(n=11)
D&E
(n=220)
Medical
induction
(n=84)
Overall pain during entire
abortion experience
Extreme pain
High pain
Moderate pain
Slight pain
No pain
32 (29%)
24 (22%)
22 (20%)
22 (20%)
9 (8%)
34 (38%)
19 (22%)
17 (19%)
13 (15%)
5 (6%)
9 (43%)
7 (33%)
1 (5%)
3 (14%)
1 (5%)
15 (24%)
10 (16%)
10 (16%)
6 (10%)
15 (24%)
1 (9%)
0 (0%)
1 (9%)
5 (45%)
4 (36%)
75 (34%)
50 (23%)
40 (18%)
38 (17%)
15 (7%)
23 (31%)
10 (14%)
11 (15%)
11 (15%)
19 (26%)
Symptoms reported
Nausea
Vomiting
Dizziness
Diarrhea
Tiredness
Pain in lower abdomen
Breast tenderness
Headache
Cold
Sweating/hot/fever
Other symptoms
11 (10%)
23 (21%)
29 (27%)
38 (35%)
51 (47%)
107 (98%)
60 (57%)
43 (39%)
45 (46%)
7 (6%)
15 (14%)
4 (5%)
34 (39%)
28 (32%)
37 (43%)
36 (53%)
86 (98%)
37 (43%)
34 (39%)
30 (34%)
6 (7%)
13 (15%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
6 (29%)
8 (38%)
10 (48%)
21 (100%)
9 (43%)
7 (33%)
14 (64%)
0 (0%)
3 (14%)
1 (1%)
20 (32%)
22 (35%)
34 (44%)
34 (54%)
63 (100%)
20 (32%)
23 (37%)
22(35%)
3 (5%)
2 (3%)
1 (9%)
3 (27%)
3 (27%)
6 (55%)
6 (60%)
11 (100%)
5 (50%)
7 (33%)
7 (64%)
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
15 (7%)
57 (26%)
63 (29%)
83 (38%)
107 (49%)
214 (98%)
106 (49%)
84 (39%)
89 (41%)
13 (6%)
31 (14%)
2 (3%)
23 (31%)
25 (34%)
40 (54%)
40 (54%)
74 (100%)
25 (34%)
27 (37%)
29 (39%)
3 (4%)
2 (3%)
Overall emotional discomfort
with abortion
Moderate, high or extreme
discomfort
None or slight discomfort
P value
0.001
0.255
0.452
0.465
0.020
0.575
0.573
0.031
0.783
0.891
0.769
0.005
0.017
43 (39%)
54 (61%) 11 (52%)
23 (37%)
2 (18%)
108 (50%)
25 (34%)
65 (60%)
34 (39%) 10 (48%)
40 (63%)
9 (82%)
109 (50%)
49 (66%)
Overall satisfaction with
1.000
6
abortion
Very or somewhat satisfied
Neutral or somewhat or very
dissatisfied
Would recommend the
abortion method to a friend
who needed one at same
gestational age
Highly or somewhat agree
Neutral or somewhat or highly
disagree
106 (97%)
3 (3%)
80 (91%) 21 (100%)
8 (9%)
0 (0%)
60 (95%)
3 (5%)
11 (100%)
0 (0%)
207 (95%)
71 (96%)
11 (5%)
3 (4%)
0.995
83 (76%)
26 (24%)
58 (66%) 18 (86%)
30 (34%) 3 (14%)
44 (70%)
19 (30%)
7
10 (91%)
1 (9%)
159 (73%)
54 (73.0%)
59 (27%)
20 (27%)