Post-Abortion Fertility & Risks: What You Need to Know

Question
hello doctor,
i had an abortion last week by mifepristone when prengnancy was of just one week...is there any risk to get pregnant next month???
Ritu.

Answer
Hello, ritu,

First, please know that I am not a doctor.

How do you know you were pregnant? You might not even have "needed" to take anything. If you were pregnant, it's not clear that the medication even did anything. It's also dangerous and can cause serious harm. Nobody knows what effect mifepristone has on fertility. You will have to wait and see. Don't count on having taken this medicine to protect you from future pregnancy, either. Nobody knows whether that will happen, either.

Your wisest course would be to leave things alone. Abortion is dangerous. It can kill you or harm your future children. If you are not married, you should stop having sex. "Protection" doesn't work. Neither does pulling out. You don't owe it to your partner to give him pleasure at your own expense. If you think he will leave you if you don't have sex, you are probably better off without him, even though it will hurt for awhile. You deserve someone who will cherish and protect you.

Expect your body to act strangely for awhile. Every woman reacts differently. You might want to learn how to tell when you are fertile. You have to chart faithfully, and you can't be using any hormones, which means it won't work right away for you, because of the mifepristone. To learn more, go to this web site:

http://www.fertilityuk.org/

Please take care of yourself, and stay safe. Feel free to keep in touch, and please let me know how you are doing.