Self-managed abortion, when a person performs their own abortion without clinical
supervision, is a model of abortion care used across a range of settings. To provide
a comprehensive synthesis of the available literature on self-managed abortion, we
conducted a systematic search for peer-reviewed research in April 2019 in PubMed,
Embase, Web of Science, Popline, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, Scielo, and Redalyc. We
included studies that had a research question focused on self-managed abortion; and
were published in English or Spanish. The combined search returned 7167 studies; after
screening, 99 studies were included in the analysis. Included studies reported on
methods, procurement, characteristics of those who self-managed, effectiveness, safety,
reasons for self-managed abortion, and emotional and physical experiences. Numerous
abortion methods were reported, most frequently abortion with pills and herbs. Studies
reporting on self-managed medication abortion reported high-levels of effectiveness.
We identify gaps in the research, and make recommendations to address those gaps.