Expert: Pat G - 7/20/2009

Question
hi, i had an abortion about 1 week ago i was 11 weeks, my fiance and i had anal sex for the first time, am really concern about it because i don't know if it was safe for me to have any sex at all we didn't used a condom, his going away in 4 days to Iraq and we couldn't wait, is it safe to have normal sex now or anal at all, thank you for your time.

Answer
Hi, shirley,

Anal sex is VERY dangerous. It damages the tissue, and gives an opening for all kinds of nasty infections. For one thing, you should have E. coli in your colon, and that can get into your abdomen where there are no white blood cells, and it can be very dangerous. For another, if he has any sexually transmitted disease (including STDs he doesn't know he has), he can very easily infect you. Anal sex is the reason that HIV is so rampant in the homosexual community. Whatever you do, don't have anal sex!

As for whether you should have any sex at all, you should follow the advice you were given, but if you don't trust that advice, you can ask another doctor, or there are services for people to ask questions. Personally, I don't know why you would want to run the same risks that got you where you were when you had an abortion at 11 weeks. I realize you want to have a meaningful experience with your fiance before he goes off to Iraq. I have a son who did two tours of duty in Iraq, so I have some inkling about that. But if you are still bleeding, then your uterus can receive an infection from sex. If you examine yourself and discover your cervix is tightly closed, and there is no more bleeding, this risk is slight. But if you are still bleeding, it's great. A surgical abortion damages the surface of the uterine lining, and it is a wide open wound, and easily infected. This can have serious repercussions in the long run. So you will know whether or not you are greatly at risk.

There are other ways to express affection, but any penetration of any opening in your body can lead to disease. And please know that condoms don't work, so don't think that you can be safe by using one. I realize that this may mean that you can't do exactly what you would prefer to do, but I would rather see you safe. Please take care of yourself, and don't take the risk of anal sex, especially.