Can You Get Pregnant Again After an Abortion?

If you’ve had an abortion and are now wondering whether you can become pregnant again, you may be worried about what the experience means for your fertility. You might be asking yourself whether your body will return to normal, how soon you could become pregnant, or whether the abortion could affect your chances of having a baby in the future.

In most cases, an abortion does not prevent you from becoming pregnant later. Fertility can return quickly after an abortion, so pregnancy is possible again soon afterward. However, there are complications from an abortion to be aware of that can affect your fertility.

If you haven’t made a pregnancy decision yet, Ascend Women’s Center provides no-cost pregnancy testing and limited OB ultrasounds to help you gather more details. After you confirm your pregnancy, we can share information about your options. 

Schedule your confidential appointment today and get the answers you need.

Fertility Can Return After an Abortion

An uncomplicated abortion should not prevent you from becoming pregnant in the future. 

Ovulation typically occurs, on average, about three weeks after a medical abortion, sometimes even before the next menstrual period. This means it is possible to become pregnant again soon after the abortion is complete.

However, fertility can vary depending on overall reproductive health. Factors such as untreated infections, pre-existing reproductive conditions, or complications during or after an abortion may affect recovery and future fertility. 

Can an Abortion Affect Your Fertility?

Abortion can involve risks and complications, and in some cases, these complications may affect future fertility.

One concern is a serious infection that is not treated promptly. An infection can develop after an incomplete abortion, when pregnancy tissue remains in the uterus, and may cause further complications if left untreated. 

Certain sexually transmitted infections, including untreated chlamydia and gonorrhea, can also affect the reproductive organs and may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease. Early testing and treatment of STDs and STIs can help protect your reproductive health.

One complication associated with surgical abortion is Asherman’s syndrome, which occurs when scar tissue forms inside the uterus. Depending on the extent of the scarring, it may make it more difficult for an embryo to implant or increase the risk of complications in a future pregnancy.

If You Have a Positive Pregnancy Test

If you’re pregnant again after an abortion, you may have questions about this pregnancy and what’s happening inside your body. 

A positive pregnancy test can tell you that you’re pregnant, but it can’t give you the full picture. The test alone cannot show where the pregnancy is located, how far along you are, or whether the pregnancy is developing as expected.

Because an ultrasound can help determine where the pregnancy is developing, it can identify an ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when a pregnancy develops outside the uterus and can become a medical emergency if left untreated.

If your abortion was recent, hCG from the previous pregnancy can remain in your body for some time and cause a pregnancy test to remain positive. If you have had sex since your abortion, a new pregnancy is also possible because ovulation can return quickly. Depending on how far along the pregnancy is, an ultrasound can also provide information about cardiac activity.

Take Your Next Step

If you have had an abortion and think you may be pregnant again, you do not have to figure out what comes next on your own.

Ascend Women’s Center provides free confidential pregnancy services so you can learn more about your current pregnancy and discuss your questions and concerns.

We are here to listen and provide support. Get in touch today to make your appointment. 

Ascend Women’s Center does not provide or refer for abortions.

All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.