Do Abortions Affect Subsequent Pregnancies and Fertility?

As per the available studies, having an abortion from an experienced doctor at a registered abortion clinic is safe. However, females who have gone through it or are planning to have it have numerous queries. And how an abortion will react to my subsequent pregnancies and fertility in the future is one of those queries. These questions are normal for women willing to have an abortion. Here have a look at some associated points if you are among such females:

Effect of an abortion on fertility 

As per a large number of reproductive health experts, having a safe abortion does not affect your fertility. One study conducted on around 5 thousand women who had an abortion suggests that having a safe abortion leave no impact on your fertility. 

What can affect your pregnancies and fertility in the future? 

According to the World Health Organisation, the risks association with medical or surgical abortion are minimal if an abortion is performed by an experienced doctor by following the set protocol. To lower the associated risks, your doctor can prescribe antibiotics. However, taking no prescription antibiotics is okay for self-managed abortion. 

As a patient, you need to stay alert when your doctor will advise you to take prescribed antibiotics. You should take such medications when you notice no relief from the ongoing bleeding, cramp, or abdominal pain. Further, you should take medicines when your nausea and vomiting continue even after 24 hours of yor abortion pill intake. 

Complications or risks associated with abortions are rare. As per a study conducted on 54 911 abortions, complicate rate is 0.23%. If you talk about the complication or risk rate as per abortion type, it is 0.31% for medical abortion, 0.16 for abortions in the first trimester, and 0.41% for 2nd trimester or later abortions.   

The symptoms or signs of infection from an abortion you should look for

Some symptoms like vaginal bleeding, cramps, and lower abdominal pain are common for females after having an abortion. You need to closely look at your symptoms if you have an abortion for the second or third times. Seek medical advice if you have:

• Fever more than 100.4° F or 38° C for more than 24 hours of the procedure 

• Severe pelvic or abdominal pain 

• Constant signs of pregnancy such as breast tenderness and nausea

• Heaving vaginal bleeding or to use two pads an hour for two hours in a row  

Who are at a higher risk of infection after having an abortion?  

Anyone having an unsafe abortion is at a higher risk of infection. Unsafe abortions are the one done by amateure or non-skilled doctors and midwife through unsafe methods. Such abortion can affect your general as well as reproductive health. And you can’t be pregnant in the future. Safe abortions are medical abortions and in-clinic/surgical abortions.   

Do abortions affect future pregnancies?

As per the available studies done on the impacts of an abortion on reproductive health, abortions do not leave any bad impacts on future pregnancies. Your fertility can come back after 8 days of an abortion process. It can have bad impacts due to your ageing and severe health conditions like high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia.      

Does having repeated abortions affect your pregnancies or complications in the future?

It is hard to give a clear answer to this query due to a lack of scientific evidence. However, a 2012 study done on 300858 abortions suggests that there is a link between the number of abortions and an increased the risk of low birth weights and preterm births. It was an observational study, but not a scientific study. 

Conclusion

Abortions done by skilled doctors under the set protocols leave no bad impacts on fertility and future pregnancies. As a patient, you need to be careful while visiting a clinic and having an abortion. You should educate yourself on this topic and follow your doctor’s instructions.