Will Having an Abortion Affect Future Fertility?

Does Having an Abortion Affect Future Fertility?: One in every 4 women in Turkey becomes pregnant unintentionally. The majority of these women are single and want children in the future. For this reason, Assoc. Prof. stated that one of the most curious topics about abortion is whether it is possible to get pregnant again in the future. Dr. Deniz Ulaş made important statements on the subject.

Stating that, of course, abortion has some risks, like any surgical intervention, Dr. Deniz Ulaş emphasized that abortion will not affect future fertility and conception if the necessary care is taken in abortions performed within the legal periods, that is, until the 10th week of pregnancy, and no complications occur.

So, in what cases, pregnancy becomes difficult and infertility may occur after abortion?

Remaining parts in the uterus (Rest placenta)

Remaining parts in the uterus after abortion is a common complication. Checking the uterus with ultrasound after abortion prevents this risk from occurring. Remaining parts in the uterus can lead to excessive bleeding or infection. This infection can spread upwards over time, including the tubes, intestines, and ovaries.

Infection causes damage or blockage in the tubes. If the tube is damaged, the possibility of ectopic pregnancy or infertility increases. If both tubes are blocked due to infection, the patient can only become pregnant with in vitro fertilization treatment.

If the infection spreads into the abdomen, it may cause intra-abdominal tubaovarian abscess formation. If the abscess is not noticed and treated, it can lead the patient to death.

Intrauterine adhesion (Asherman's Syndrome)

During abortion, all the uterine walls are cleaned so that no particles are left inside. But if this scraping is done too much, the uterine wall will be damaged and intrauterine adhesions may occur.

The presence of intrauterine adhesions manifests itself in the form of inability to menstruate or a decrease in the amount of menstruation after abortion.

If there is intrauterine adhesion, the embryo cannot attach to the uterus in subsequent pregnancies because the uterine wall is very thin and the blood flow of the uterine wall is reduced. In this case, the baby cannot hold on to the uterus, even if it does, miscarriage occurs in the early weeks of pregnancy.

The diagnosis of intrauterine adhesion is made according to the patient's complaints and medicated uterine film (HSG). In this case, intrauterine adhesions need to be cleaned hysteroscopically.

Infection

If the sterilization rules are not observed during abortion, if the patient does not pay attention to personal hygiene, infection may develop. The infection can spread to the tubes and intra-abdominal organs, just as if a piece remains in the uterus. This causes obstruction in the tubes, formation of intra-abdominal abscess, and the future fertility of the patient is negatively affected.

Emphasizing that abortion should therefore be done in safe places by paying attention to hygiene rules, Assoc. Dr. Deniz Ulaş Hız emphasized that the places called under the stairs should be avoided.

In addition, he said that a young girl can conceive without deteriorating the hymen. Ulaş stated that abortion can be done without damaging the hymen, and if the hymen is damaged during the procedure, the hymen can be planted in the same session after the abortion.