Expert: Shan Yi Sheng - 2/2/2011

Question
Hello. I had an abortion one month ago and everything went well with it. I started taking birth control pills the same day I had the abortion. I had, during this month, but only when the 2 week prescription without sex ended, sex with my partner and a couple of times it was unprotected with an extra method (I was strictly taking the pill as I mentioned). When I was supposed to have my first period (3 days after stopping the first month pills) I bled but not as my periods used to be but more light and short (it lasted 2-3 days). Also the bleeding was irregular during this days. A couple of days after starting my second month with pills I am having symptoms like abdominal pain or nausea. Can I be pregnant again? Can a pregnancy test be accurate? Were the pills THAT insufficient?

Answer
Ola carino,

After an abortion the bleeding patterns and periods tend to be irregular and unpredictable for 3- 4 months.
The contraception pill taken immediately after the abortion reduces the chance of pregnancy to 70 %.
The next month - if you follow the prescription - it is 99 % safe.
Unprotected sex in the way you had it is hazardous. Why unprotected anyway ?
Pregnancy test are normally reliable.
I hope this knowledge is clear.
If you want to be sure, have the pregtest repeated by a pharmacist or MD.
If you are pregnant and do not want the baby, do not wait too long before going to the abdocs again.
cross your fingers.
Dr Shan