Testing Two Different Doses of Misoprostol in a Medical Abortion Regimen in Tbilisi, Georgia

Gynuity held a training for 10 clinicians from a research institute and two maternity houses that are participating in a study of medical abortion. The study will recruit 750 consenting women and seeks to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of mifepristone medical abortion using a 400mcg dose and an 800mcg dose of buccal misoprostol. The study began enrolling women in May 2007, and it is hoped that the study will increase women’s access to medical abortion, which is currently offered only in one facility in the country.

In advance of the training, Gynuity organized a round-table meeting, “Expanding Access to Reproductive Health Technologies in Georgia”. The half-day meeting was attended by 20 participants including members of the Parliament of Georgia, representatives from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Affairs, local and international NGOs, medical providers and other key stakeholders. The agenda included presentations from local health authorities on the current situation and challenges on elective termination of pregnancy in Georgia. Presentations on medical abortion technology, service delivery issues, and goals and objectives of research on mifepristone medical abortion in Georgia were made by Gynuity representatives. Participants highlighted the importance of expanding medical abortion services throughout the country for improving reproductive health services.