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I had an incomplete abortion, will I ever get pregnant?

What you need to know:

  • Much as pilplan will help prevent a pregnancy it does not protect against sexually transmitted infections.
  • Pillplan is a combined (has oestrogen and a progesterone) oral contraceptive taken to prevent unwanted pregnancy on a daily basis.

I am 26 and I had an incomplete abortion when I was 21 using misoprostal. The pregnancy was one month. I am not married neither do I have children. I am taking Pilplan but still wonder whether I will bear children? Please advise me.
Patricia Kiconco

Dear Patricia: An incomplete abortion is where part of the contents of a pregnancy are not expelled out or remain retained in the uterus. This is before 28 weeks of pregnancy. The biggest danger of an incomplete abortion is bleeding and sepsis which require evacuation and a course of antibiotics. Complications such as bleeding, infection, trauma or perforation to the uterus may occur. Misoprostol is a prostaglandin analog which causes contraction of smooth muscles. It is used in the treatment of ulcers and inducing of labour where the cervix softens and muscles of the uterus contract. In your case, the doctor prescribed it and if used as per the doctor’s instruction all should be well. In cases of failure of the drug, bleeding will occur requiring an ultra sound scan done. Thereafter, the remaining contents of pregnancy are removed. Sometimes, scars will remain or trauma caused within the uterus depending on method used. You need to have a scan done to ensure that there was no damage to your uterus.

Pillplan is a combined (has oestrogen and a progesterone) oral contraceptive taken to prevent unwanted pregnancy on a daily basis. The pill prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg each month (ovulation). It also thickens the mucus in the neck of the womb, so it is hard for sperm to penetrate the womb and reach an egg.
Having all this in mind one returns to fertility once pilplan is stopped. If you did not suffer any complications after the abortion you should be able to conceive and bear children without any problems. One misconception women have is that use of pills burns up their eggs which is merely a myth.
Much as pilplan will help prevent a pregnancy it does not protect against sexually transmitted infections.