PIP: As a result of the low efficacy of available contraceptive methods, improper method use, and inadequate access to contraception, China's abortion rate remains unacceptably high. Improvements in the quality of family planning services in China are essential to women's reproductive health. This article reviews research in two areas: medical abortion (with prostaglandins alone or with mifepristone and prostaglandins) and emergency contraception. Medical abortion with RU-486 has been investigated extensively in China and found to be both effective and highly acceptable. Domestic production of RU-486 began in 1990. Medical abortion has the potential to comprise 80% of early pregnancy terminations performed in China. Emergency contraception use is rare in China; anordrin is the drug most frequently used for this purpose. Awareness is growing, however, of the potential of this method to reduce China's abortion rate and several different regimens are currently under investigation.