Missed Period Pill Study

The Missed Period Pill Study is a prospective observational study among people who decide to use misoprostol alone for menstrual regulation.

As the number of state laws restricting access to abortion increases across the country, more creative methods are needed to support individuals in achieving their reproductive goals. Misoprostol alone for people who suspect, but have not confirmed pregnancy, has the potential to fulfill this growing need. The goal of this research study is to test a traditional but underutilized framework of menstrual regulation for pregnancy loss, to "bring back" a period when it is missed. This study will aim to recruit 100 patients who have a missed period to address research questions that focus on the feasibility and acceptability of using misoprostol alone for menstrual regulation. The study will require 2 study visits. First study visit: A urine sample will be collected which will later undergo pregnancy testing. Participants will be given misoprostol along with instructions and information on what to expect. The participant will be required to return to the clinic 4 weeks later to provide another urine sample. The participant will not know the results of the first visit's pregnancy test at any point. The clinic staff member administering the participant's care will not know of the pregnancy test result while the participant is at the clinic. Second study visit: The second pregnancy test that will be conducted at the follow-up visit will inform the participant and research staff whether the treatment was successful. The participant will then be asked to answer questions on an online survey about their experience using misoprostol. A variety of clinical and social science measures will be collected to assess the feasibility and acceptability of this traditional concept of menstrual regulation utilizing uterine evacuation with medications.