Hemorrhage

Sometimes women will bleed heavily during an abortion or a few days afterwards. Occasionally it is necessary to give a transfusion to replace the lost blood. Sometimes it is necessary to do a second curettage procedure (scraping the walls of the uterus to remove tissue, etc.) or hysterectomy to stop the bleeding.

Infection

The uterus is susceptible to infection right after an abortion. Infections are even more of a risk if you have Chlamydia or Gonorrhea. Some symptoms include pain and fever. This is generally treated with antibiotics but sometimes another curettage procedure (scraping the walls of the uterus to remove tissue, etc.) must be used. If untreated, a very serious infection can develop and could result in infertility.

Perforation

Sometimes the tools of abortion are accidentally pushed through the wall of the uterus during an abortion. If the instrument damages one of your internal organs, it may be necessary to do major surgery to repair the damage.

Effects on Later Pregnancy

Severe injury to the cervix may occur and may result in the early loss of a later wanted pregnancy. The risk of miscarriage in later pregnancies is higher if a woman has had two or more abortions.

Continued Pregnancy

The fetus may be growing in your fallopian tube rather than in your uterus. An abortion procedure would miss this and the continued growth of the fetus in your tube is dangerous.

Death

Death has occurred after abortion, though this is rare. When abortion is done after the first three months of pregnancy, the risk of death increases. The cause of death by abortion is usually from heavy bleeding or from complications with anesthesia (the medication used for sleep or to help relieve pain during surgery).

Some women experience an immediate feeling of relief following an abortion, but many find themselves later coping with feelings they did not expect. They may have a difficult time talking about these feelings. However, many women who have had abortions experience similar feelings. Some psychologists have labeled these problems as Post Abortion Stress.

The symptoms of Post Abortion Stress span a wide range and can affect men who have lost a child to an abortion as well as women:

• Long-term grief reactions

• Guilt

• Anger

• Flashbacks

• Sexual dysfunction

• Memory repression

• Abortion Anniversary reactions

• Suicidal ideas

• Hallucinations

• Difficulty keeping close relationships

• Increased alcohol and drug use