4th July 2012 | by MFC Team
If you had an abortion in the past, it doesn’t mean you will have fertility problems if you want to get pregnant in the future.
The majority of women who have had a therapeutic abortion (TA) do not have difficulty getting pregnant and carrying a pregnancy to term. The fact that you have achieved a pregnancy in the past can be a good indicator that you ovulate and your fallopian tubes are open.
However, in rare cases, the cleaning out of the uterus (dilation and curettage) can cause some scarring in the uterus and the dilation of the cervix during a TA can weaken the cervix. Both of these relatively rare complications may make it more difficult to become pregnant and carry a pregnancy to term.
If you’ve had an abortion in the past and are having difficulty becoming pregnant, you may want to ask your doctor to refer you to a fertility specialist. A procedure known as a hysteroscopy can be done to examine the inside of your uterus and assess your current fertility.
I can’t express enough how relieved I was to read this…I had an abortion in the past when I was quite young, and I’ve been too avoidant and scared to ask if there’s any long-term risk associated with the procedure….so thank you for offering this information. Even though I am aware there is still a risk (like in those rare cases), it’s still such a relief to know that I could still get pregnant in the future.
I had an abortion when I was in my early 20s and now I’m trying to get pregnant but not having any success. I’ve been feeling so guilty like my infertility now is punishment for having an abortion earlier in my life. Reading this makes me feel a little bit better… but it’s still hard not to blame myself for decisions I made and wonder if I should have done something differently…
I had an abortion in March and I am 22 and all of a sudden I feel the need to be pregnant but it seems that I can’t.I was nine weeks pregnant when I had my abortion and just feel so guilty for what I did coz it was wrong in every way.
I understand how you feel. I had an abortion when I was 21 and I felt really guilty. Fortunately, with some support from a counsellor, I was able to work it through. I’m OK now with the choice I made. I’d really encourage you to get some support.