Abortion and Impaired Future Fertility

Planned Parenthood seems to believe that abortion doesn't impair future fertility.

Their Claim:

"Safe, uncomplicated abortion should not affect your ability to have a child in the future. In future pregnancies, it does not

* cause birth defects
* cause premature birth or low infant birth weight
* make ectopic (not in the uterus) pregnancy more likely
* make miscarriage more likely
* make the risk of infant death more likely

Having more than one abortion also should not affect future pregnancies."

Oh really?

"Epidemiological findings indicate that the two principal risk factors for EP(ectopic pregnancy) as reproductive rather than contraceptive failure are a history of genital infection or tubal surgery and smoking. Quantitatively, their role in the risk of EP is similar: each explains approximately one-third of EP. They have a causal role in EP risk. The other risk factors are the woman's age and her history of spontaneous or elective abortion. These risk factors together explained 76% of EP"

Fernandez H, Gervaise A. Ectopic pregnancies after infertility treatment: modern diagnosis and therapeutic strategy. Human Reproduction Update 2004;10(6):503-13.

" Women whose pregnancy is terminated by dilatation and evacuation may have an increased risk of subsequent premature delivery and a low birthweight baby. Very little has been published and no conclusions can be made regarding the effects of instillation procedures and repeat abortions on future reproduction."

The effect of pregnancy termination on future reproduction. (eng; includes abstract) By AtrashHK, Baillière's Clinical Obstetrics And Gynaecology [Baillieres Clin Obstet Gynaecol], 1990 Jun; Vol. 4 (2), pp. 391-405; PMID: 2225607

"Birth weight most strongly determined infant mortality"

The Apgar score and its components in the preterm infant.
Thomas Hegyi, Tracy Carbone, Mujahid Anwar, Barbara Ostfeld, Mark Hiatt, Anne Koons, Jennifer Pinto-Martin, Nigel Paneth. Pediatrics. Jan 1998 v101 n1 p77(5).


Now let's look at how man complication's actually occur:

" Three percent (3%) of the women who underwent a dilation-and-evacuation procedure developed complications, compared to 5% of the women who underwent suction curettage. Two percent (2%) of the women who underwent a second trimester abortion developed an infection, the most common complication, compared to 3% of the women who underwent a first trimester abortion."

A five-year experience with second-trimester induced abortions: no increase in complication rate as compared to the first trimester.
Francis R.M. Jacot, Claude Poulin, Alain P. Bilodeau, Martine Morin, Suzie Moreau, Francoise Gendron, Dominique Mercier. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Feb 1993 v168 n2 p633(5).



Ok, so let's look just at abortion rates in America.

"In 2002, a total of 854,122 legal induced abortions were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 90% of these abortions were performed before 13 weeks' gestation. Of these induced abortions, 91% were completed surgically by dilation and evacuation."

John M. Thorp, Jr., MD, Carol J. Rowland Hogue, PhD, MPH
Contemporary OB/GYN

So let's see. 90% of 854,122 is 768,709.8 We'll go with 768,710.
10% of 854,122 is 85412.2 We'll go with 85,412

3% of the 768,710 abortions prior to 13 weeks result in complication. That number is 23,061
5% of the 85,412 abortions after 13 weeks result in complication. That number is 4, 270


Of course, this does not take into account how many of these post 13 week abortions are third trimester abortions that carry much greater risk. We are using conservative estimates.

So 23,061 + 4,270 = 27,331 women a year suffer abortion complications. That is 75 women a day. In the United States.


With complication:

"Reproductive potential after a postabortal infection may be compromised by Asherman's syndrome, pelvic adhesions, or incompetent cervix. Tubal infertility is a concern after postabortal infections caused by N gonorrhoeae or C trachomatis."

Postabortion infections
Mar 1, 2001
By: A. Karen Kreutner, MD
Contemporary OB/GYN


Asherman's Syndrome:Asherman's syndrome is the presence of intrauterine adhesions that typically occur as a result of scar formation after uterine surgery, especially after a dilatation and curettage (D&C). The adhesions may cause amenorrhea (lack of menstrual periods) and/or infertility.

"We believe women contemplating abortion would benefit from this knowledge and that providers of abortion procedures have an autonomy-based obligation to make women aware of the potential future reproductive harm. "

John M. Thorp, Jr., MD

It's obvious that even uneventful abortions may impair future reproduction. When we throw complication into the mix, it's little wonder so many infertile women have a history of induced abortion. Please, spread the word. Don't buy into the lie.

Abortion, Delayed Parenting, and Infertility

I've been wandering about some infertility blogs lately. It's heartbreaking to read of women so desperate for a child. Before I go further, I want to make it clear that I'm not condemning anyone. This post is about society, not any individual's choice.

The overwhelming majority of infertility bloggers are older women(from a reproductive standpoint) who have been sold a bill of goods about modern medicine being able to extend fertility indefinitely.

These women are outraged(and rightfully so) that they were mislead their entire lives with the message that "you can have it all" or "you can have children whenever you want". Now entering their 40's these women are realizing that this was a lie. They were had.

This isn't shocking. It's easy to imagine that someone would be outraged that they were not told that fertility weans. We all agree that the myth of the 40 year old mother is far from an everyday reality. What shocks me is how many of these women have had prior abortions.

They make comments like "I was pregnant before, but I had to terminate for X reason, perhaps God is punishing me now". No! God isn't punishing you, you were lied to! Those same people who told you that having a baby at 40 was as plausible as having one at 20 also told you that having an abortion now would not affect future fertility.

They lied. They are still lying. Please, if you've stumbled upon this site by typing in infertility and you've had a prior abortion, get the word out that abortion is a MAJOR risk factor for later infertility and miscarriage.

Women deserve the truth, even if it is inconvenient.