Will My Pregnancy Be Normal After an Abortion?

One concern that many women have about abortions is whether having one could cause problems if they want to have a child in the future. Pregnancy termination is a very safe procedure that rarely has any impact on your future fertility or pregnancies.

Getting Pregnant After an Abortion

Having an abortion won’t usually have any impact on your chances of getting pregnant in the future. In fact, your fertility will return to normal right away after you have a termination. If you don’t want to get pregnant again, you will need to use contraception as soon as you are ready to start having sex again. You should wait until you are physically and emotionally ready to try again, especially if you experienced any complications.

Pregnancy After Abortion

You should be able to have a completely normal pregnancy and birth after an abortion. Having an abortion won’t affect the chances of pregnancy complications, miscarriage or any other problems. However, there is some evidence that having repeated surgical abortions may slightly increase the chance of miscarriage as the cervix may become damaged or weakened.

Can Abortion Complications Have an Impact on Future Pregnancies?

For most women, having an abortion won’t have any impact on their fertility or future pregnancies. However, if you experience certain kinds of complications when you have a termination, it could cause fertility problems. These complications are rare and the chances that they will affect future pregnancies are even smaller.

Uterine Scarring

In rare cases, a surgical abortion can result in damage to the uterus. If the inside of the uterus is badly scarred, then it could make it harder for you to get pregnant. Ensuring that your abortion is performed by an experienced doctor can reduce this risk.

Womb Infections and PID

Another potential issue is that a small number of women who have abortions can develop infections in their wombs. As long as the infection is detected and treated quickly, this won’t have any long term effects. If you notice a fever, nasty smelling discharge, or you feel sick and tired after your abortion, then you should contact your doctor as you may have an infection. If these symptoms are caused by an infection, then you may need antibiotics to get rid of it. You may also be given antibiotics before the procedure to reduce the risk of infection.

If a womb infection isn’t treated after an abortion, then it could spread into your fallopian tubes and ovaries. This is known as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and it could reduce your fertility or increase the chances of an ectopic pregnancy if the fallopian tubes become scarred. Around 1 in 10 women who have PID will experience fertility problems.

If you notice symptoms of PID such as pelvic pain, unusual discharge, or bleeding between periods at any time after your abortion then you should see a doctor. Antibiotics can clear up the infection and prevent any further damage to the fallopian tubes. Most women who have PID will be able to conceive naturally, especially when it is treated quickly.