Expert: Pat G - 2/21/2010

Question
i have just gotten my 2nd abortion done recently almost 2 weeks ago i was 20 weeks pregnant and my last abortion was done this past may,which i was only 13 weeks then.When i started bleeding this time it came out bright red and just today it came out dark brown.I also put in birth control couple of days ago,the nuvaring.Is the dark brown bleeding normal?

Answer
Hello, delta,

Your question was in the question pool rather than addressed specifically to me, and I just saw it.

Having an abortion at 20 weeks is not normal, so nothing that happens afterward would be normal, either. Dark brown blood is old blood. The Nuvaring has hormones in it, so it could have stopped the bright red bleeding. But those hormones are not good for you. If you are not married, the safest thing to do is abstain. You could also get a nasty disease from having sex, if your partner has had sex with anyone else. The risk isn't worth it.

By now, you probably know more about your situation. But if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. If you still have questions, it also might be wise to ask your doctor. But don't go to the person who supplied the abortion, and preferably not to the person who inserted the Nuvaring, either. These people don't have your best interests in mind.

Normally, menstrual blood tends to be red, but you obviously observed something new. There is always a possibility that you have an injury of some sort. This is another reason I think you should see a decent doctor. Nobody will be able to tell you over the internet what is wrong.

Please take care of yourself and let me know how you do.