Expert: Pat G - 9/12/2009

Question
I had my abortion 3 days ago, september 9th. It was a medical abortion because I was in 5th week. How long bleeding after the abortion is normal. Is there any other side effect I should expect?

Thanks

Answer
Hello, Vafs,

There is no such thing as normal about an abortion. Nobody knows how long a woman will bleed. In some cases, women bleed to death afterward. Keep an eye on it, and if you bleed heavily, get immediate medical attention. As for other side effects, who knows? Abortion disrupts a woman's body, so there are a lot of things that can go wrong. If this is your first pregnancy, be vigilant about breast cancer, because it is very common. It may strike in your 40's, but it could strike earlier. Pill abortions haven't been around long enough for the studies to show what other long term damage they might cause. I certainly wouldn't expect your bleeding to stop this soon, and I have gotten messages from women who have bled for weeks. Other possible side effects can include cramping. If it becomes too painful, again seek medical attention. Don't just let the doctor give you a painkiller. Pain can indicate uterine rupture. That is also a threat to your life. And some painkillers will relax the uterus so that it won't clamp down like it needs to, and hemorrhage becomes a threat. And if you took any pills vaginally, be vigilant about symptoms of infection, and if you have any, get someone to take you to the emergency room, and tell them to look for toxic shock syndrome. This can kill a woman within hours, and most of the time, they don't even have time to diagnose it. I hope you will be OK, but please don't ever take those kinds of chances again. If it turns out you are still pregnant, find a doctor who doesn't believe in abortion. Don't do anything further. Please take care of yourself, and stay safe!