Can you get pregnant after an abortion?
Any impacts on subsequent pregnancies may concern someone thinking about having an abortion. Most of the time, having an abortion in the past has had no effect on fertility or subsequent pregnancies. Rarely, difficulties with a second pregnancy might result from an earlier abortion.
Both medicinal and surgical abortion techniques are available. How far along the pregnancy is and the individual's preferences can both affect the sort of abortion a person gets. According to research, both kinds of abortion have relatively minimal risks and have no known effect on fertility. It follows that a woman may become pregnant shortly after having an abortion. If somebody is participating in sexual activity that might result in pregnancy and does not want to become pregnant within weeks following the abortion, they should utilize contraception. Most of the time, women who have undergone abortions can conceive generally in the future. Rarely, a woman who has undergone an abortion may have difficulties during a subsequent pregnancy.
It seems sensible that you would be curious about how having an abortion in the past could impact your chances of becoming pregnant in the future, whether it was ten years or ten months ago. After all, many issues might arise regarding abortion, such as how it operates, what to anticipate following, and if the termination would affect your future fertility. Recognize your company. The World Health Organization estimates that there are 73 million induced abortions performed annually around the world (WHO). Accordingly, 29% of all conceptions and 61% of unplanned pregnancies end in abortion.
After an abortion, is it possible to get pregnant? How soon can you conceive after an abortion?
The short answer is yes; becoming pregnant after an abortion is possible. Research supports that after an abortion, a woman can ovulate [release an egg for fertilization] and get pregnant before her next menstrual cycle. 83% of women, they discovered, ovulate within a month of having an abortion. Thus, you can become pregnant before your subsequent period. Therefore, if you want to engage in sexual activity that might result in pregnancy, you must take reliable birth control.
However, if there are difficulties [after an abortion], subsequent pregnancies may be riskier. If the uterus has had several operations, the placenta's aberrant development into the uterine muscle during a subsequent pregnancy may be more likely. However, the evidence isn't conclusive when it comes to abortion and the possibility of early labor in a subsequent pregnancy. The removal of pregnancy tissue following an abortion or miscarriage (also known as "uterine evacuation") is a risk factor for preterm labor and delivery, according to a 2015 joint Italian-American evaluation of the scientific literature.
The risk of preterm labor was lower for women who had abortions than for those who had miscarriages, according to a major Scottish research that included more than 120,000 women. Preterm [early] birth following an abortion is not normally a danger that we highlight since it is so minor if it occurs, and many studies provide contradicting evidence.
When are post-abortion pregnancy tests accurate?
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the pregnancy hormone, is found in urine and is what pregnancy tests look for. A positive test indicates the presence of hCG in your body. If you intend to test positive for pregnancy after an abortion, use caution. Even after a thorough abortion, it might take weeks for a pregnancy test to come out negative since hCG levels are still there and take some time to drop to zero. However, if you're concerned that your abortion isn't finished or if there are any difficulties, speak with a medical expert.
To determine if you are still pregnant or not, your doctor can use blood tests to precisely measure the level of hCG in your body and monitor whether it is rising or falling.
A medical abortion that is not completely successful leaves some pregnancy tissue in the uterus. People who are going through this frequently have symptoms, including ongoing pregnancy symptoms like nausea and exhaustion. Another indication that something isn't right is persistent, erratic bleeding that lasts longer than expected (1-2 days), generally with clots and cramping. A consultation with your healthcare provider should be prompted by persistent symptoms, pregnancy, or discomfort.
Symptoms of pregnancy after abortion
The signs of pregnancy after an abortion will be the same as those of any pregnancy. They consist of:
- supple breasts.
- a sensitivity to flavors or odors.
- sickness or vomiting
- Fatigue.
- Period missed.
Take a home pregnancy test if six weeks after the abortion you haven't had a period. Give your doctor a call if the results are favorable. To find out if you are pregnant or still have pregnancy hormones from an earlier pregnancy that was aborted, they can do a blood test.
Risks and security
Early in the pregnancy, is the ideal time for abortions since it increases safety. Regardless of the technique of abortion, complications are more probable when a pregnancy is farther along. The kind of abortion a person has may also influence whether they encounter problems and how serious they are.
Medical professionals frequently utilize this technique for abortions during the first trimester; a medical abortion entails taking medicine. Mifepristone and prostaglandin, for instance, have a 99% success rate when used together.
Dilation and curettage (D&C), another name for a surgical abortion, is the process of removing the fetus using suction and a device called a curette.
One sizable cohort research discovered a link between subsequent pregnancy difficulties and surgical pregnancy termination. Preterm birth, cervical insufficiency, placental retention, and significant postpartum hemorrhage are some of these issues.
A surgical abortion may, in rare circumstances, leave the uterine wall scarred. Asherman syndrome is the term used by doctors. Scarring may make it more challenging for a person to become pregnant again and increase the risk of future pregnancy loss.
Although this may merely be the case because medical abortions occur more frequently in the early stages of pregnancy, the dangers of medical abortion appear to be fewer than those of surgical abortion. In general, the risk of complications is lower when an abortion is performed early in pregnancy.
If difficulties develop, more care could be required to lower the likelihood of future issues. Each patient can get medical advice on the hazards.
Can having an abortion impact the ability to conceive?
Typically, having an abortion won't impair your ability to get pregnant and have healthy pregnancies in the future. It can marginally raise the possibility of early delivery in subsequent pregnancies. If you get a womb infection after the surgery and do not get it treated right away, there is a very tiny chance that it will affect your fertility and future pregnancies.
Pelvic inflammatory illness, caused by the infection, may extend to your ovaries and fallopian tubes (PID). PID can raise your chance of ectopic pregnancy where an egg implants itself outside the womb or infertility. You may receive antibiotics before having an abortion to lower the risk of infection, although the majority of infections are cured before they reach this point.
If you develop any indications or symptoms of infection following an abortion, such as the following, get medical treatment as soon as you can.
- Severe lower back, pelvic, or stomach discomfort.
- Elevated temperature (fever).
- Strange or unpleasant vaginal discharge.
- Having a sick sensation.
- Bleeding after sex or after menstruation.
Worries and hopes to get pregnant after an abortion.
If you've had an abortion, you can feel conflicted about getting pregnant. Both optimism for a future pregnancy and regret and occasionally remorse for having terminated a prior one are viable emotions. Alternatively, you might be able to get past the abortion and focus on the future. Following an abortion, you could worry about a variety of things.
Fearing that infertility will result from abortion. Rest assured that, unless you've had an untreated illness, having an abortion typically doesn't harm your ability to get pregnant again.
The fear of a low-lying placenta, ectopic pregnancy, or a higher chance of miscarriage. There is no proof that any of these risks increase after abortion. Premature delivery is still possible after an abortion, albeit the risk is significantly higher following a surgical procedure than a medicinal one. Premature birth is less likely to occur after an abortion than it is after a miscarriage. Speak with your doctor or midwife if you have any queries.
When discussing the possibility of trying again for a kid with your spouse, you might worry that your perspectives are divergent. One of you may want to retry right immediately, while the other may want to wait. Try to be honest with one another about how you feel. Seeing a counselor could be beneficial if you have different goals.
After having an abortion, it is indeed feasible to become pregnant once more during the next ovulation cycle. Immediately after the abortion, start using a birth control technique if you want to prevent getting pregnant again. You can get assistance from a healthcare professional in making the best decision. Typically, having an abortion won't prevent you from becoming pregnant again in the future. It won't even have an impact on your capacity to have a healthy pregnancy. A surgical abortion may, in rare circumstances, leave the uterine wall scarred. Reproductive difficulties might result from this.