10-year evaluation of the use of self-managed abortion through telemedicine: A retrospective cohort study

This retrospective study analyzes the follow-up evaluations of 30,344 service users of Women on Web over a 10-year period, from January 2009 to January 2020. The final analysis consisted of 26,076 women and pregnant people who reported taking the medical abortion pills, with age, economic circumstance, home country, knowledge about abortion pills, and acceptability forming the demographic.

Of the final data set, 1.5% reported an ongoing pregnancy, 10.2% reported a surgical intervention, 0.6% a blood transfusion, and 99% found it to be an acceptable abortion method. Overall, 35% found it financially difficult to donate for the service, and 8.5% received the service for free. A total of 59.2% reported knowing about medical abortion prior to finding Women on Web. A significant increase in complete abortions and a decrease in surgical interventions was observed between 2009 and 2019. The study’s outcomes were in line with previous research and concluded that medical abortion seems to indeed be a safe, effective, and highly acceptable option for women and pregnant people.