Expert: Pat G - 3/5/2010

Question
i had my last menstrual cycle on 28th jan. me and my fiance made love on 16th feb and since then i haven't had my periods.
i took pregnancy test on 2nd march morning which was negative. i then consulted a gynae who gave me the abortion pills(total 5: 1 in the noon n other 4 at night: 2 orally n 2 through vagina). even though i havent had any bleeding. pl help me as to what could be the problem as i am not sure whether m pregnant or not.
thanks

Answer
Hello, saumya,

I hate to say it, but your doctor has committed malpractice. I hope you haven't taken these pills!

Here's why. First, she doesn't even know if you are pregnant. Second, they won't work at this stage. They are very dangerous and can kill you. A woman should NEVER use these pills vaginally, either, because that can cause toxic shock syndrome, due to Clostridium sordellii, and that can kill a woman within hours. It is an infection where under the circumstances, a woman's body won't fight back. These pills can also cause a woman to bleed to death, and there are plenty of women in India who are bleeding to death. I have heard from some women here who may well have bled to death, because at the time they wrote to me, they were bleeding heavily. These pills can also do serious damage to a woman's uterus.

There are also other dangers. If you are pregnant (and that's not a certainty), it can greatly increase the chance you will develop breast cancer while you are still young. If you have a history of breast cancer in your immediate family, it is a virtual certainty.

Medical ethics states that a doctor should never cause harm. Giving you pills for a condition that may not exist is an example of causing harm.  Furthermore, helping a woman produce an abortion is also unethical. But even if you grant that this is ethical, giving you medication for a condition that may not exist is definitely unethical.

Abortion is dangerous. There are so many ways it can cause serious and permanent damage it's not funny. I have whole books on the kinds of damage it can cause.

You plan to marry this man. Why would he let you put your life at risk like that? Why is he accepting for you to hurt yourself like that? Have a talk with him. You should never, ever be put into this position. You deserve better.

I know that weddings in India are very elaborate, and this is actually a very good idea, because you take marriage seriously. But please give some thought to getting married now, as soon as possible. If you are proposing to risk your life to avoid shame and dishonor, that's a poor trade.

There are organizations in India that can help you with whatever problems you face. You owe it to yourself to at least find out how they can help you. You can find these organizations by going to this web site:

http://heartbeatservices.org/index.php/connections/worldwide-directory

Choose "India" from the country list. I am unaware of any in northern India, but one of the others may be able to recommend someone who can help.

Please don't do this! Please take care of yourself and stay safe. Let me know how you do.