Expert: Pat G - 9/18/2009

Question
Hi there,

I had an abortion about a week ago and i am experiencing tenderness in my pelvic area. Is this normal or the start of infection? i haven't had sex since the procedure and my bleeding has almost stopped. But more tender then the first few days. do you think i will be ok until my check up in another week.
thank you kindly and very much appreciated.


Answer
Hello, Jacqualine,

You're welcome.

I could see the possibility of a couple of things causing this problem. Another may be an internal injury of some kind. This isn't something to fool around about. I urge you to get to see a doctor right away. The doctor should test your white blood cell count, run tests for other diseases (a woman can get a sexually transmitted disease from an abortion, including HIV, though that isn't likely to cause the tenderness, I imagine, because of the latency period), and check you for tubal pregnancy. Sometimes an abortionist misses diagnosing a tubal pregnancy. If you were no more than 4-6 weeks along, last menstrual period, this is a real possibility, and it's a threat to your life. So please don't delay! If the pain gets more intense and then suddenly stops, get to the emergency room. Have someone take you. You could also get pelvic inflammatory disease, which is another kind of infection, that could destroy your ability to have a child in the future. I'm not altogether familiar with possible treatments, and I don't know whether there are any good ones, but catching it early could make a difference.

Please let me know how you do.