About

Hemorrhage

Sometimes women bleed heavily during an abortion or a few days afterwards. With a medical abortion (RU-486), bleeding lasts 13-15 days or more. Occasionally, it is necessary to receive a transfusion to replace the lost blood. Sometimes a second curettage procedure or a hysterectomy is needed to stop the bleeding.

Infection

The uterus is susceptible to infection right after an abortion, especially if part of the fetus or placenta is accidentally left inside of you. Infections are even more of a risk if you have chlamydia or gonorrhea. Symptoms may include pain and fever. This is generally treated with antibiotics, but sometimes another curettage procedure must be used. If untreated, a very serious infection can develop that could result in infertility.

Perforation

Sometimes the tools of abortion are accidentally pushed through the wall of the uterus during an abortion. If the instrument damages one of your internal organs, it may be necessary to do major surgery to repair the damage. This complication can cause extensive bleeding.

Effects on Later Pregnancy

Injury to the cervix may cause the early loss of a later wanted pregnancy. Scarring that blocks your fallopian tubes may also occur. This can keep you from becoming pregnant in the future. The risk of miscarriage in later pregnancies is higher if a woman has had two or more abortions.

Other Possible Complications

The fetus may be growing in the fallopian tube rather than in your uterus. An abortion procedure could miss this. The continued growth of the fetus in your tube is dangerous and potentially fatal. Blood clots in the uterus are also common.

Anesthesia-related complications, Rh therapy

Death has occurred after abortion, although it is rare. When abortion is done after the first 3 months of pregnancy, the risk of death increases. The cause of death by abortion is usually from heavy bleeding or from complications with the drugs used for pain.

Emotional Risks

Some women experience an immediate feeling of relief following an abortion, but many find themselves later coping with feelings they did not expect. They may have a difficult time talking about these feelings. Some psychologists have labeled these problems as Post Abortion Stress. The symptoms of Post Abortion Stress span a wide range and can effect men who have lost a child to an abortion as well as women.

ONE WOMAN’S EXPERIENCE

“I had an abortion when I was 19. It seemed like a really logical thing to do. I could hardly pay my bills and wanted to get a decent job. My boyfriend didn’t say much. He wanted to be supportive and thought his silence was support. We later married and admitted that we both regretted the decision.

We were surprised at how much we mourned the loss of that baby. We have both been depressed at various times, have experienced intense anger with each other over the abortion, and felt a lot of shame. Finally, both of us spent time in a support group for people who have had abortions. I never expected that I would carry this emotional weight into my 30s. We now have 2 children, but we still regret the one we lost to that quick abortion decision.”