Questions about abortion

What Is Self-Managed Abortion?

Self-managed abortion refers to an abortion carried out using medications (mifepristone and misoprostol) without the direct supervision of health care personnel. The WHO has indicated that self-managed abortion, when it is accessible and affordable, is a solution for improving the health and well-being of people who use health services. In 2022, Mexico’s National Center for Gender Equity and Reproductive Health (Centro Nacional de Equidad de Género y Salud Reproductiva, CNEGSR) issued its Technical Guidelines for the Provision of Safe Abortion Care in Mexico (Lineamiento técnico para la atención del aborto seguro en México, the CNEGSR Guidelines), which describe treatment options for abortion based on the quality standards established by the WHO and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO).

The WHO has also indicated that, under certain circumstances, the management of abortion medications (mifepristone and misoprostol) may take place without direct supervision by health care personnel, provided that women and other pregnant people have access to accurate information and are able to seek care from health providers at any point during the process.

The CNEGSR Guidelines understand self-managed abortion to be a medical procedure that respects the privacy of the user, insofar as it allows the user to take the medications at the time and place of their choosing. As a safe and non-invasive option, it may be carried out within the scope of outpatient primary care. The medications recommended and used for this procedure (mifepristone and misoprostol) may be self-administered:

• safely and effectively;
• in spaces where the user feels comfortable;
• with the accompaniment of people (including support networks and accompaniment
  organizations) who have accurate, evidence-based, and stigma-free information about the
  procedure; and
• with access to health care personnel at any point during the process, should the user want
  or need their support.

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