Expert: Pat G - 7/28/2009

Question
Hi, I had an abortion at 23 weeks and 2 days a week and a half ago. It will have been two weeks since the second part of the procedure on Friday and the doctor said that I can have sex with my boyfriend again two weeks after. I bled quite alot at first, but now I am bleeding only a little bit a few times a day. If I have sex on Friday at a time when I am not bleeding will it probably cause me to bleed, and bleed during sex? Also is it likely to hurt when I have sex on Friday. Thankyouuu x

Answer
Hi, Laura,

You're welcome.

The first question I want to know about is why you would want to wind up right where you were when you had your abortion. If you continue to have sex as you did before, you probably will. Please give this some serious thought. Seek a way to protect yourself from having the same thing happen again. And please be aware that condoms, withdrawal, and not penetrating but coming near don't work. There are other ways to express affection, and it can be worthwhile to figure them out. Any kind of penetration of the body anywhere can lead to disease anyway, regardless of whether pregnancy is an issue or not.

If you are bleeding during or after sex, your uterus is still open to the outside world and vulnerable to infection. And yes, it is quite possible that having sex can cause the bleeding to start up again. For one thing, sex causes the uterus to contract, and that will squeeze out blood. As to whether it will hurt or not, that's an individual matter, and I can't tell you what you personally will experience. I will say also that any emotional aftermath of having had an abortion can have a bearing. Will you be as carefree as before? If you tighten up, that will hurt. Please address your emotional response to having had an abortion, and try to be as open with yourself as you can.

But please don't take any more chances. Abortion is dangerous and can kill you. I sure don't want to see you go there again. Please take care of yourself.