Can having abortions affect fertility?

[Poppet13]

Exactly that, really.
I had an abortion at 16 (11 weeks) and (I'm ashamed to say) again, when I was 19/20. They were both surgical abortions.
I'm now a lot older, and me and my partner have moved into a new place ready to start thinking about children.
I just wanted to know really if it can affect later fertility, or if anyone has gone through the same thing they can offer some advice or kind words that it will be okay??
Thank you.
Ps - apologies I posted in here, seemed like the fertility page wasn't the right place for it.

[helenlouisey]

Sadly it's not a myth that abortions can cause infertility. I had a termination at 13 weeks and it caused Ashermans (scarring in the uterus), it is a risk of having a surgical abortion, the same as if you have an ERPC. I was left infertile and needed two operations and hormonal treatment in order to restore my fertility. Usually there are symptoms of AS such as absent or very light periods accompanied by cramping and pain. Sometimes periods can be normal and scarring can still be present. How long have you been TTC for? How old are you? If you're over 35 and been trying for more than 6 months then definitely worth a visit to your GP, if you're younger than 35 I believe the guideline is you have to have been trying for over a year before the NHS will investigate.
Best of luck and I hope you manage to conceive soon x

[StarsInTheNightSky]

OP I agree with other on this thread, unless it caused problems at the time, or you have underlying fertility issues, it shouldn't be a problem. If there is anything you're concerned about, see your GP asap.

I would also suggest either charting your most fertile days or using ovulation sticks as it will give you an indication much more quickly whether there may be any underlying issues rather than it just naturally taking longer. If you're hitting your most fertile days each cycle, and still not falling after six months or so, might be worth a trip to the GP, whereas if you're taking a more laid back approach you might be missing the fertility window on some cycles, so could give a false impression of taking longer than it really is, if that makes sense. Sometimes it does just take longer, but at least then you have the reassurance of having a better idea of what's going on if that makes sense.

As others have said, it's the same operation for abortion as for a missed miscarriage, and I've had the operation for an mmc of a 19 week pregnancy. It didn't affect my fertility, and it wasn't our first loss either, I fell pregnant again within two cycles and am now 27 weeks pregnant and all going well so far (touch wood!).

Lastly, please don't feel ashamed of having had abortions, it was the decision which was right for you at the time therefore it was the right decision. What we've been through and what we've done makes us who we are today. I really hope all goes well for you x.

[squizita]

As Helen mentions, Ashermans is a condition which results from any surgery on the uterus (although it is quite rare). If you are worried, they identify it with a scan - so maybe speak to your GP about this for peace of mind. It is quite rare and isn't 'abortion specific' (if that makes sense) but a risk with ERPCs or shape-correction surgery - it's where scarring fuses/clogs the uterus (and the cure is to have the scarring removed).

To clarify - I am not saying abortion is risk free, but the risks are the same as a lot of operations down there. Some pro-lifers exaggerate the risk or make out it's only for that type of op.

[CrispyFB]

There's a good chance one of my two ERPCs (or my HSG - also involves forced dilation) caused my incompetent cervix which only luck prevented me from losing DC2. After my first ever ERPC I was in such pain in my cervical area I thought they'd broken something. They probably had.

Most people don't know about incompetent cervix until they've had a late miscarriage.

And yes, there's Asherman's too.

These things are rare, but there is very proven link.

[ChicaMomma]

I had an abortion (under general anasthetic at 14 weeks) when i was 25. Got married last summer, at 37, started TTC straight away and got pregnant on the honeymoon. So in my case, it didnt effect me it would not seem. That said, the midwife did say it could affect delivery if there was any damage done to the cervix during the procedure- they will check later in the pregnancy. I think that was what she said!!!!!!!!!!!

[squizita]

I think we also need to differentiate between risk of miscarriage and infertility. The are both different conditions - you can have either or both.

Although heartbreaking, it's vital to know what to ask for help for, as treatments are different.

Surgery carries a small risk, which can raise the chances of miscarriage (I am deliberately saying 'surgery' not 'abortions' because I do think it's important to recognise that it's the surgery and not any moral scaremongering). These increase the further along a pregnancy gets (as it is more invasive), but are still pretty rare.