Getting Pregnant After Having An Abortion - Emma's Diary

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If you have had an abortion in the past and are planning on getting pregnant again, then you probably have some questions and concerns.

Are there effects on fertility after abortion? How soon can you get pregnant after having an abortion? How can an abortion affect future pregnancies?

To help you, here are answers to many of the most pressing questions surrounding pregnancy after abortion.

Key takeaways

• Most abortions do not affect future fertility, though untreated womb infections can pose a small risk.
• You can become fertile immediately after an abortion so contraception is important if you’re not ready to conceive again.
• You don’t have to disclose a past abortion to your doctor or midwife, but sharing your full medical history can help ensure the best care during pregnancy.

In this Article

• Fertility after abortion – is it affected?
• How soon after an abortion can I get pregnant?
• Should I tell my doctor or midwife that I have had an abortion previously?

Fertility after abortion - is it affected?

There are two types of abortion – medical abortion and surgical abortion.

A medical abortion is when you take two doses of medicines, usually a day or two apart, to induce an abortion – this is also sometimes known as a pill abortion.

A surgical abortion is when you have a medical procedure to remove the pregnancy.

Both surgical and medical abortions are very safe and common procedures that have no direct effect on your chances of getting pregnant in the future.

But a possible impact on fertility is still a common concern for women who have had the procedure, as there are many stories doing the rounds about fertility being affected after abortion. Thankfully, in the vast majority of cases abortion has no effect on your chances of becoming pregnant in the future.

But there is a small risk to your fertility if an abortion leads to a womb infection. A womb infection is possible, but extremely rare, after a medical abortion, but is more common after a surgical abortion – as any surgical process carries a risk of infection.

If you do get a womb infection, then you have nothing to worry about if it’s treated promptly and properly. But if it is not treated then it can lead to a condition called pelvic inflammatory disease (also known as PID), which is an infection of the female upper genital tract, including the womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries. In some cases, having PID can mean your fallopian tubes become scarred and narrowed - making it difficult for eggs to travel through them into the womb.

This in turn can increase your chances of becoming infertile, or suffering from complications like an ectopic pregnancy, so you should speak to a doctor immediately if you notice symptoms such as a high temperature, smelly vaginal discharge, or bad abdominal pain – as they are all possible signs of a womb infection.

But even if you are unlucky enough to develop pelvic inflammatory disorder, then it is still unlikely to affect your fertility. Only 1 in ten women with PID become infertile, and it is most common amongst people who delay treatment, or have had repeated episodes of PID.

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How soon after an abortion can I get pregnant?

You may have heard that it’s impossible to get pregnant again if you have sex straight after an abortion, but that’s a myth.

You can become fertile again immediately after an abortion and before your period returns. The normal advice is that you can start having sex again as soon as you feel ready, but if you don’t want to get pregnant then that obviously means you should use contraception. You will normally talk about contraception with your nurse or doctor at your abortion appointment, so you can discuss all the different options.

Should I tell my doctor or midwife that I have had an abortion previously?

You don’t have to tell your midwife, doctor – or anyone else - that you’ve had an abortion in the past. But it is best to mention it to medical professionals during pregnancy, as then the people who are helping you know your full pregnancy history. It is nothing to embarrassed about and will probably never be mentioned. And it doesn’t have to go in your pregnancy notes if you don’t want it to.

You may want to talk to your midwife or doctor privately about a previous abortion. If you usually attend antenatal appointments with your partner, or family member or friend, then you can always ask them to wait outside while you talk. Alternatively, you can ring up the hospital and ask for a private, one to one appointment. Remember, anything you say any medical professional is in strictest confidence and they will not reveal it to anyone – even your partner – without your permission.

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