Abortion - Its Impact on Female Fertility

Please note: this article is not concerned with the ethics of any questions surrounding what is commonly referred to as the "abortion debate".

So what are the impacts of an abortion on the future fertility of a woman? Whilst abortion is anathema to many, it is also for some a physiological and possibly even a psychological necessity. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding abortion, it is likely that many women and couples will want to know if their will be affected by it.

The bottom line is that when an abortion has been conducted; legally, safely, professionally and providing there are no complications arising from it, there is no significant risk to the future fertility of the woman involved. Some studies have shown a small increase in the risk of having a miscarriage or pre-term delivery in a future pregnancy following an abortion. This is usually caused by cervical incompetence (the cervix being unable to close tightly during pregnancy). The risk of cervical incompetence does increase according to the number of abortion procedures undertaken. However, a properly performed abortion will not affect the woman’s fertility.

Despite the claims of some people there is no evidence that an abortion will cause infertility, stillbirths, ectopic pregnancies or birth defects. However, there is a risk of infertility arising from any subsequent infection, especially when the reproductive organs become infected and are not promptly and correctly treated. Infection in the fallopian tubes could lead to scarring and blockage of the tubes. This would mean that the female gamete (ovum) would be prevented from moving into the uterus. The increased incidence of Chlamydia, which is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection, is known to cause fertility issues for women. Undergoing an abortion whilst suffering from the presence of Chlamydia in a woman would increase the risk of a post-abortion infection and, therefore, the risk of infertility. Screening for Chlamydia before an abortion, followed by an appropriate course of antibiotics will reduce the associated risks.

After an abortion a routine ‘check-up’ by your doctor is usually carried out after a couple of weeks. At this the doctor will check for any post-abortion complications. Obviously, following an abortion, if the woman feels uncomfortable about any aspect of her health she should contact her doctor immediately.

Following an abortion, experts now no longer consider it necessary for a woman to undergo a few menstrual cycles before trying to conceive. For a woman who uses a chemical form of contraception after an abortion there is no reason why her fertility should not return to normal as soon as that contraception ceases. Of course, some chemical forms of contraception can take a while for their effects to wear off.

The main risks during an abortion are; hemorrhaging (heavy bleeding) occurring in 1 in 1000 abortions, cervical damage occurring in up to 10 in 1000 abortions and womb damage. Womb damage occurs in up to 4 in 1000 abortions, but it falls to 1 in 1000 for mid-trimester abortions.

To say there are no risks involved with fertility following an abortion would obviously be false. However, the few risks that there are must be considered along with the risks to a woman of continuing with an unwanted pregnancy or one that is dangerous to her health. Only the woman concerned can assess the risks and reach for herself a balanced conclusion.