Does Having An Abortion Cause Infertility?
Abortion can either be a planned termination of pregnancy or a pregnancy that ends with an unplanned miscarriage. Most often abortion only refers to induced abortion. Can abortion cause infertility? The question of whether an induced abortion will be a threat to future fertility and pregnancy has been pondered upon by many people. Generally, having an abortion will not rob you of the chance to become pregnant again. Although abortion may cause a few side effects in your body at times, becoming infertile is not one of them.
Abortion And The Increased Risk Of A Future Miscarriage:
The risk of future miscarriage post-abortion depends highly on the method of abortion. If a woman undergoes a surgical abortion by D&C, where the uterine contents are suctioned, and suffers any uterine damage thereafter or has any indication of hemorrhage, the risk of subsequent fertility issues is higher.
If instead of surgical intervention, the woman undergoes a medical termination, the risk of future fertility issues is very minimal. In 85% of the cases, no adverse effect is expected even for first-time mothers.
Complications To Keep In Mind
A few common complications associated with Abortion are the complication of anesthesia, Uterine Perforation, Bowel and bladder injury, Cervical Shock, a failed abortion, and so on.
Pelvic infections: The risk of bacteria and other germs entering your vagina or cervix and causing an infection is very high during an abortion.
Incomplete abortion: This is one of the common complications associated with abortion. When the fetal parts or other pregnancy parts are not entirely emptied from your uterus it leads to an incomplete abortion and is detrimental to your health.
Blood clots: Some women experience blood clots in their uterus post-abortion and some might even hemorrhage. When heavy bleeding is involved suction or in rare cases surgery has to be involved.
Torn cervix: To pass the medical instruments into the uterus, the uterus has to be stretched, and often this causes a tear in the cervix.
Anesthesia does not suit everyone and many women face complications with abortion owing to this.
Chances For Fertility After Abortion
Your body will start ovulating two weeks post-abortion and hence you can become pregnant again before your next period itself. Unless otherwise, your medical expert has given specific instructions as to not conceive shortly, there is no reason to delay conceiving.
No additional safety efforts are required to become pregnant post-abortion. Unless otherwise medical complications are involved, no additional precautionary measures are required for your fertility post-abortion. If your body gets adversely affected during the abortion procedures you have to follow up with treatments to become fertile again. After the termination of pregnancy, infertility can be cured in many cases. These statements should be undergone 6 months post the date of abortion to give your body sufficient time to recover naturally. Your medical expert will prescribe you several vitamins and hormone replacement medications and this will help your body to become fertile. Symptoms of infertility after abortion :
If your body gets infected during an abortion, the chances of infertility become significantly higher. Hence it is essential to look out for the symptoms of infection post-abortion. The common symptoms include severe pain in your tummy, lower back, and pelvis. Some might experience fever and a continuous high body temperature. One of the most common symptoms is an unusually smelly vaginal discharge. Some women might also experience frequent bleeding, especially post sex and some might even bleed between their periods.
Does The Abortion Pill Affect Fertility?
Terminating a pregnancy via a pill is normally referred to as medical abortion. The abortion pill does not have a direct link to infertility. The FDA has certified that abortion pills are not harmful to future fertility. But certain medical clinics have stated that although abortion pills do not cause infertility, they do have side effects. For instance, the Mayo Clinic has stated that abortion pills might lead to the risk of premature h or low birth weight for future pregnancies. There are many misconceptions as to abortion pills causing breast cancer, but in reality, it is not the case.
For over 20 years, abortion pills have been used by U.S. Residents. Although some might experience an allergic reaction to the pills, it does not lead to infertility. The pills are safe and effective and do not have any long-term impacts. Abortion pills do not cause infant death or future miss carriages and are one of the safest modes of abortion, especially in the early days.
How To Decide When To Conceive Again?
Unless otherwise, your medical experts require you to postpone your pregnancy, you can conceive immediately post-abortion without any difficulty or side effects. Your fertility will return almost immediately after abortion and an egg can be released within 5 days after your treatment. This will help you to become pregnant again even before your next period starts.
Also Read: