Twenty years of postabortion care (PAC) studies yield strong evidence that:

Misoprostol and vacuum aspiration are comparable in safety and effectiveness for treating incomplete abortion.
Misoprostol, which can be provided by trained nurses and midwives, shows substantial promise for extending PAC services to secondary hospitals and primary health posts.
Postabortion family planning uptake generally increases rapidly–and unintended pregnancies and repeat abortions can decline as a result–when a range of free contraceptives, including long-acting methods, are offered at the point of treatment; male involvement in counseling–always with the woman’s concurrence–can increase family planning uptake and support.