Expert: Pat G - 9/18/2009

Question
I had an abortion 4 weeks ago today I was 9 weeks, I had unprotected sex 3 times the second and third week after the abortion, for some dumb reason...well I took a pregnancy test today and their was a very faint line coming across as pregnant...do you think I am pregnant or the hormones are just still in my system...how will I know when I am late never started my period?

Answer
Hi, Jenny,

It is unlikely you are pregnant as a result of "unprotected" sex. (There is no such thing as protection. Condoms and pulling out don't work, and there is a failure rate with all contraceptives). It is unlikely that you were fertile yet. It is much more likely that your pregnancy test is showing leftover hormones. To make sure, test in another week. If it's just leftover hormones, it should be negative. If you are pregnant, the line will be stronger.

If you want to be absolutely assured that you won't get pregnant right now, don't take any chances. You can learn to tell when you are fertile. You must chart faithfully, and you can't be using hormones. For more information, go here:

http://www.fertilityuk.org/

Abstinence works. Every time. When you want to show affection, learn other techniques. Any kind of penetration of your body can make you susceptible to sexually transmitted disease, however. It is also possible to get an STD from abortion, so be vigilant.

Abortion also disrupts a woman's delicately balanced hormones, so there are no expectations about when you will get your period back. If you do learn how to tell when you are fertile, you will know your period is late if it doesn't occur on the 14th day after peak fertility (ovulation day).

Later on, if you decide to bear a child, please tell your doctor about your abortion. There are risks to you and your baby from this abortion you have had. They can cause the baby to be born very prematurely, and that can cause cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism. The risks also make childbirth high risk for a couple of reasons, and a Caesarian might be necessary. There are remedies your doctor can undertake to protect your baby in the middle of your pregnancy, so be sure and tell him.

I hope this helps. Please take care of yourself!