Recently updated on February 3rd, 2023 at 05:51 am
Anything related to the topic of abortion attracts heated debate as well as a lot of half-truths and misconceptions about how it affects the woman’s physical and mental being. So is it true that abortion increases the risk of miscarriages in the following pregnancies?
It is hard to know, but few studies have found the general risk of miscarriage after one pregnancy cancellation. Meanwhile a much more increased risk of miscarriage in women who have undergone multiple pregnancy terminations.
Many studies have found that there was no link between going through abortion and the risk of inducing a miscarriage in future pregnancies. Meanwhile, some researchers have drawn hypotheses that there is an increased risk of miscarriage but it isn’t likely from abortion; rather due to lifestyle factors that are more in common in women who have had abortions.
Surgical Abortion vs. Medical Abortion
Moreover, complicating the matter is the miscarrying risk that comes only from a slight chance of scarring from surgical abortions, like the D&C, as opposed to terminating from abortion pills.
According to various studies, when a woman takes safe abortion pills, it doesn’t affect the body to a permanent degree. Therefore, it doesn’t increase the risk of miscarrying at all. One study in 2007 examined a total of 11800 women and concluded that pregnancy terminations by abortion pills did not cause a higher risk of miscarriage.
Since abortion with Mifepristone and Misoprostol [ MTP Kit] is only allowed within 10 weeks of gestation, it is generally safer than other procedures.
If one worries about miscarrying after getting your pregnancy terminated, here are some things to remember –
- If you have aborted in the past and worry about miscarrying in the future, remember that most women who have had abortions did not miscarry or have physical complications. A good outcome of your future pregnancy far outweighs the odds of miscarrying.
- If you had a miscarrying experience after an elective pregnancy termination, and worry about their connection, please know that there is no way of making sure that they are. Although they are probably more likely to not be related. There are a number of reasons for why you would have miscarried, the most common being due to the chromosomal abnormalities in the baby, which cannot be caused by previous abortion.
- If you are considering pregnancy termination of an unwanted pregnancy and worried about future miscarriages or overall health, consult a doctor on the least risky option- and about what you can do to avoid future need for abortion, given that multiple procedures increase the risk of complications.
