Expert: Pat G - 1/26/2011

Question
QUESTION: i had an abortion on Tuesday Jan.18 the day i had the procedure and the day after wards i had a brown vaginal discharge i haven't had any pain either i feel perfectly fine but after those two days i haven't had any bleeding or discharge or anything and its been a week now im kinda worried is it bad to have no bleeding?

ANSWER: Hello, Brittaney,

There are some things you haven't told me that I need to know before I can answer your question. What kind of abortion did you have? How far along were you? Did you measure from the date of conception, or from your last menstrual period?

Abortion is dangerous, so it's bad to have one. It's not bad not to bleed. Bleeding can become so serious that a woman can bleed to death. This is particularly a problem with pill abortions. But it can also be a problem with surgical abortion. With a pill abortion, you would expect bleeding.

Let me know the answers to my questions, so I can tell you more. Thank you.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I had a surgical abortion  and i was ten weeks we went by my last menstrual period
Plus the other day i wasn't really thinking and ended up having sex
but Ive been feeling fine i haven't had any pain or anything so i dident really think anything serious would happen and im still feeling fine but is it going to cause problems?

Answer
Hello, Brittaney,

It sounds like you were one of the "lucky" ones who had no immediate consequences. It is not so common to have bleeding after a surgical abortion. They try to remove the lining, which is where the blood comes from, if they don't injure you in another way. However, there are still possible problems in the long run. For one thing, if this was your first pregnancy, you are now much more susceptible to breast cancer than you were before. If a close relative has had breast cancer, for you to get it is a virtual certainty. The form, triple negative, kills 1/4 of its victims. I recommend you take Vitamin D3 daily for the rest of your life. Start with 5000IU. You will have to have your blood tested to make sure you're not getting too much. Do not get mammograms. They can cause or spread breast cancer. Get a regular thermogram. Also, you will be more prone to get an auto-immune disease such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. Unfortunately, I don't know a way to prevent this at the moment. And you will have scarring that could cause complications in a later pregnancy. Scarring across a Fallopian tube could make you more likely to have a tubal pregnancy. If you become pregnant and start to experience pain early in the pregnancy, see a doctor immediately. A tubal pregnancy requires emergency surgery; it is a life-threatening condition. Scarring can also cause a new baby to attach at a good location, and you could have placenta previa. This requires a Caesarian section in most cases, because otherwise, mother and baby could hemorrhage. It is potentially fatal. Your cervix will have been damaged from being forced open. A weak cervix often cannot hold the weight of a baby. This leads to miscarriage or to very early birth. Very early birth is a leading cause of birth defects. So you will need to tell your doctor. He may need to do a cerclage to hold your cervix shut until time for birth.

It is unlikely you could get pregnant this soon after your abortion. However, you could get an infection from having sex this early. They usually tell a woman to wait 2 or 3 weeks before having sex. If you don't want to live with the fear of pregnancy, and you're not married, I recommend you stop having sex. "Protection" doesn't work. Your partner owes it to you to respect your body and not put you at risk the way you have been. Have a talk with him. If he is not willing to protect you from any future problems, you deserve someone better. Obviously, that would be difficult, but you will be much better off. If you are married, I recommend you learn to recognize when you are fertile. Also, be prepared to welcome a baby. It is perfectly acceptable. If you are facing problems and need help, please be aware that there are organizations all over the United States that help women. You can find one near you by going to this web site:

http://www.optionline.org/

The link to the lists is on the right.

If you have any emotional issues, avail yourself of the counseling they provide. Emotional issues CAN be severe.

Please take care of yourself and don't take any more chances with your life. Let me know how you do.