Successful termination of pregnancy can be achieved at any stage of gestation by the administration of prostaglandins (PG). The methods used for preoperative cervical priming are: intramuscular and intramural-cervical injection of sulprostone, as well as intracervical application of PG-containing gel preparations. According to our own extensive investigations, intracervical application of 50 micrograms sulprostone-tylose gel is superior to other procedures of cervical priming as regards efficiency and acceptance. For termination of second trimester pregnancy a combined procedure is advisable, namely cervical priming (e.g. intracervical PG gel application) and induction of labour (e.g. intramuscular sulprostone). The advantages of this method as compared with the exclusively systemic administration of PGs are: a higher success rate, a lower incidence of undesired concomitant side effects and the avoidance of serious complications (e.g. cervical rupture). In our experience administration of PGs is not contraindicated under certain well-defined conditions, even in the case of previous uterine operations.