Can Having an Abortion Affect Future Pregnancies?

Mosaic Health
Dec 17, 2023
2 min read

Like many women who’ve had abortions, you may still hope to become a mother one day.

Can having an abortion affect future pregnancies? Can you still get pregnant? What can you do to have a healthy pregnancy in the future?

Keep reading to learn about how abortion may affect your reproductive system and future pregnancies, along with tips for post-abortive women who hope to have a baby.

How Abortion Affects Your Reproductive System

Abortion is a complicated surgical procedure that may cause significant side effects and permanent changes to your body.

Abortion may scar your uterine wall and damage the cervix. These injuries may cause complications in future pregnancies.
Abortion may reduce your level of progesterone, a hormone that is necessary for fetal development.
Abortion may cause gynecological disorders which make it harder to get pregnant and carry a child to term.

Abortion and Future Pregnancy Complications

Complications from abortion may make it harder to conceive and carry a pregnancy to term.

Infertility. International statistics reveal that many women who have abortions experience infertility.
Miscarriage. Abortion may leave scar tissue in the uterus, making it harder for a fertilized egg to implant and grow. This interferes with placenta development and makes it harder to retain the pregnancy, increasing the risk of miscarriage.
Risk to your baby. Pregnancy termination may increase the risk of premature birth and low birth weight in future pregnancies.

Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy After Abortion

What should you do if you’d like to have a child after having an abortion in the past?

While abortion does carry many significant risks, there are steps you can take to increase your odds of a healthy pregnancy. It’s important to give your body time to heal, take steps to avoid infection and other complications, and see your doctor before becoming pregnant again.

Avoid getting pregnant for at least 6 months after having an abortion. Abstaining from sexual intercourse is the best way to avoid pregnancy.
If you’d like to try to conceive, see your gynecologist for tests and possible treatments to improve your chances of becoming pregnant and carrying the baby to term.

Are you coping with the emotional effects of a recent abortion?

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