The use of misoprostol in medical termination of first and second term pregnancies and cervical priming in surgically induced termination of pregnancies has been studied extensively. A survey is given on the available literature (MEDLINE to May 1998) on the usage as a single medication or in combination with mifepristone or methotrexate. A review is given on literature concerning side effects and complications. Misoprostol is a most promising, cheap, and effective agent, which does not need cool storage like other prostaglandins. The use of misoprostol as an abortifacient has, however, not been supported by the manufacturer. This leads to the situation (similar to mifepristone/RU 486) that it is used and researched, but probably will not be officially approved for this specific indication.