Objective: This paper explores the relationship between domestic violence against women inflicted by husbands, unwanted PREGNANCY and PREGNANCY TERMINATION of Bangladeshi urban women.Materials and methods: The study used the nationally representative 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) data. The BDHS covered a representative sample of 10, 996 ever married women from rural and urban areas. The BDHS used a separate module to collect information from women regarding domestic violence. The survey gathered information of domestic violence from 1, 013 urban women which are the basis of the study. Simple cross tabulation, bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed to analyzing data.Results: Overall, the lifetime prevalence of domestic violence was 47.5%. Of the most recent pregnancies, 15.6% were unwanted and 16.0% of the women terminated PREGNANCY in their marital life. The multivariate binary logistic regression analyses yielded quantitatively important and reliable estimate of unwanted PREGNANCY and PREGNANCY TERMINATION. The regression analyses yielded significantly (p<0.05) increased risk of unwanted PREGNANCY only for physical violence (OR=2.35, 95% CI=1.28-4.32) and for both physical and sexual violence (OR=2.27, 95% CI=1.02-5.28), and higher risk of PREGNANCY TERMINATION for only physical violence (OR=1.41, 95% CI=0.95-2.10) and for both physical and sexual violence (OR=1.81, 95% CI=1.07-3.04) than women who were never abused. Current age, higher parity and early marriage are also important determinants of unwanted PREGNANCY and PREGNANCY TERMINATION.Conclusion: Violence against women inflicted by husbands is commonplace in Bangladesh. Any strategy to reduce the burden of unwanted PREGNANCY and induced abortion should include prevention of violence against women and strengthening women’s sexual and reproductive health.

Background: Medical induction abortion is an acceptable alternative to surgical abortion for PREGNANCY TERMINATION. Misoprostol is an inexpensive PGE1 analogue that can be used easily and safely as a single agent for first- and second-trimester PREGNANCY TERMINATION.The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of two different doses of vaginal misoprostol for PREGNANCY TERMINATION with gestational age up to 16 weeks.Methods: This clinical trial included 100 pregnant women with gestational age up to 16 weeks requesting legal TERMINATION of PREGNANCY. The subjects were randomized in two equal groups, and received either 200 (group 1) or 400 mg (group 2) misoprostol vaginally every 6 hours with a maximum of four doses. Response to treatment was defined as complete or incomplete abortion within 48 hours after initial dose. Curettage was performed for patients with heavy bleeding or incomplete abortion. The abortion outcome and side-effects were assessed.Results: The groups were similar in maternal age, gestational age, parity and obstetrical history and indication for PREGNANCY TERMINATION. The side effects in group 2 were significantly higher than in group 1 (P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding completeness of the abortion and mean time to abortion induction.Conclusions: In the TERMINATION of pregnancies up to 16 weeks, the 200 mg per dose regimen of misoprostol was as effective as the 400 mg regimen; however, side-effects were more common with the higher dose.

Dear Editor, I read the article " TERMINATION of PREGNANCY for fetal anomalies: A qualitative study of the informational and educational needs of women”,by Kamranpour et al. [1] with great interest but also with dismay, particularly about the weight given to these women's informational needs. I could not help but ponder, was this gap related to the time constraint, was information shared arbitrarily determined, or was it related to a degree of familiarity where healthcare professionals treated such needs as the least priority? . . .

Induced abortion may be desired during a normal or abnormal PREGNANCY. The methods of induced abortion dif-fer between species mainly because of different sources for progesterone production during PREGNANCY between species and within a species according to different stages of gestation. In cows and buffaloes, PREGNANCY can be effectively terminated from 5 to 150 days by administration of luteolytic doses of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PG). From 150 days onwards and till term bovine and bubaline pregnancies can be safely terminated by administration of a combination of PG and dexamethasone. During the last month of PREGNANCY in these two species, PREGNANCY can be successfully terminated by using either a PG or dexamethasone. In goats PREGNANCY can be terminated during the entire gestation by administration of luteolytic doses of prostaglandins. In sheep pregnancies up to 55 days can be terminated by administration of 100 μg cloprostenol or 10-12 mg of dinoprost. From day 55 onward the TERMINATION of sheep pregnancies requires the administration of single or multiple injections of dexamethasone. Early PREGNANCY (day 5-34) TERMINATION in the mare can be achieved by physical methods or ad-ministration of PG. The same treatment is effective in terminating pregnancies between days 35-120 but repeated injections are required and because the endometrial cups continue to exist for a couple of days after PREGNANCY TERMINATION, mares do not return to estrus for prolonged periods. The TERMINATION of equine PREGNANCY after 4 months is difficult till term. The results of administration of PG or corticosteroids is suboptimal and manual disruption of the fetus after dilation of the cervix with PGE2 creams is more reliable method of PREGNANCY TERMINATION.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and side effects of two different misoprostol regimens for second-trimester PREGNANCY TERMINATION.Methods: 60 consenting women who were at 14 to 28 weeks of gestation with indications for PREGNANCY TERMINATION were randomly assigned to two equal groups to receive either vaginal or oral misoprostol. The dosing regimen was 400μg as the initial dose followed by 400μg and up to 3 doses (1200 mg) if needed in each group. Efficacy and side effects were compared.Results: 30 patients randomly assigned to vaginal and 30 to oral misoprostol group. Demographic characteristics were similar in both the groups. The percentage of women who delivered was significantly higher in vaginal group than the oral group (86.7 vs.43.3, P=0.0006).The average induction to delivery interval was shorter in vaginal group, but this difference was not significant (9.7±4.2 vs. 12.7±7.3 P=0.083). No significant differences in complication rates or side effects were noted between the two groups.Conclusion: Vaginal administration of misoprostol resulted in a higher success rate for second trimester PREGNANCY TERMINATION, whereas, no significant differences in induction to delivery time and complication rates were noted between vaginal and oral groups.