Possible Complications of Abortion

An abortion is a procedure to end pregnancy. The pregnancy is ended either by taking medicines (medical abortion) or having a surgical procedure (Surgical abortion). Most abortions are carried out before 24 weeks of pregnancy. An abortion can also be carried out after 24 weeks in very limited circumstances – for example, if the mother’s life is at risk or the child would be born with a severe disability. Abortion is a safe procedure but are safer, and happen with less pain and bleeding, when carried out as early as possible in pregnancy. Most abortion services will ask to perform an ultrasound scan to work out how many weeks pregnant you are. The length of pregnancy is calculated from the first day of your last period.
Having an abortion will usually not affect your chances of becoming pregnant and having normal pregnancies in the future. You may be able to get pregnant immediately after an abortion. It is advisable to use contraception if you do not want to get pregnant, because even though abortion procedures are generally safe, there are risks that something could go wrong.
The risks of abortion complications usually increase if the pregnancy is older. These possible complications include
Needing another procedure to remove parts of the pregnancy that have stayed in the womb.
Serious complications such as heavy bleeding, damage to the womb, or sepsis .
Damage to the womb or entrance of the womb (cervix).
Infection to the womb (Uterus)
There’s also a risk to fertility and future pregnancies if the womb becomes infected and is not treated quickly. The infection could spread to the fallopian tubes and ovaries – known as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can increase the risk of infertility or ectopic pregnancy (where an egg implants itself outside of the womb). But most infections are treated before they reach this stage, because antibiotics are usually given before an abortion to reduce the risk of infection.
Talk to your doctor as soon as possible if you experience any signs of infection after an abortion, such as: severe pain, a high temperature (fever) or smelly vaginal discharge.