Expert: Pat G - 3/8/2010

Question
I went with suction abortion on 22.02.10,i bleed only on the same day thereafter it was normal with only abdominal pain which continued for a week.I started bleeding after 2 weeks on 8.03.10.I want to know whether this is my periods or due to some other reasons i have stared to bleed.also the bleeding is with a vry slow pace with no pain which is unusual as compared to my normal periods time.Kindly reply.

Answer
Hello, priya,

Abortion isn't normal, and neither are the bleeding and pain it causes. Abortion disrupts a woman's hormones. For this reason, there are no reasonable expectations about when a woman will bleed, or whether it is a period or some other problem. Nobody will be able to tell you why your body is bleeding at any given time, not over the internet. You will have to wait and see. You should ask a doctor why you had pain after your abortion. It may indicate you were injured. Actually, a suction abortion DOES injure a woman, because it damages the surface of the uterus. Scar tissue can form, and can interfere with a future pregnancy. In a suction abortion, they use a sharp knife, and they have to cut away the placenta. But what I'm talking about here is an injury that is more than just this injury. It could mean the uterus has been perforated. It can also mean that your cervix has been damaged. It probably was anyway. Your chances of having a miscarriage or a very premature birth in a future pregnancy have been increased about 400%. Very premature birth can cause serious birth defects.

Please be wise and don't take any chances. You could be fertile any time, and sex in the weeks after abortion can cause a nasty infection. It is more likely a woman will get a sexually transmitted disease after an abortion both because she might get it from the abortion itself (because instruments are not sterilized properly), and because the open wounds on the surface of the uterus will allow an infection if a woman has sex.

If this was your first pregnancy, your chance of getting breast cancer have been greatly increased. This usually strikes while a woman is still young (in her 30's, for example), and about 1/4 of the women who get this die from it. If you have close relatives who have had breast cancer, your chance of getting it is a virtual certainty.

I recommend you see a decent doctor and have him check you thoroughly for possible injury and infection. Don't go to the person who did the abortion. That person acted unethically and cannot be trusted.

If you are married, I recommend you learn how to tell when you are fertile. You have to chart faithfully, and you can't be using hormones. For more information, go to this web site:

http://www.fertilityuk.org/

If you do become pregnant, please accept your baby. It is perfectly reasonable for a married couple to have a baby.

If you are not married, the only way to stay truly safe is to abstain from sex. It's not in your best interests. You shouldn't have to take these kinds of chances with your life and health. Abortion is ALWAYS dangerous. You deserve better. Please let me know how you do, and please take care of yourself.