Abortion is a medical procedure that carries real health risks, and infection is one of the most serious. Recognizing the warning signs early can protect your health and keep a treatable problem from becoming life-threatening.

Keep reading to learn what signs to watch after both a medical abortion and a surgical abortion.

If you’re currently considering your pregnancy options or have not yet confirmed your pregnancy, contact MyLife Medical and Resource Center for no-cost and confidential help and resources.

Signs of a Post-Abortion Infection

Here are the signs to look out for:

Heavy Bleeding: Some bleeding is normal, but soaking through more than two pads an hour after a medical abortion, or more than one pad an hour after a surgical abortion, is not. Bleeding that becomes heavier over time rather than tapering off is also a red flag.

Fever: A fever is your body’s way of signaling that something is wrong. Report a fever that begins after a surgical abortion right away, and call your provider if a fever lasts longer than 24 hours after a medical abortion. Do not wait to see if it goes away on its own.

Foul-Smelling Vaginal Discharge: Some discharge is expected as your body recovers, but an unusual or foul odor is not. This can be one of the earliest indicators of infection, so contact your provider as soon as you notice it.

Severe Abdominal or Back Pain: Mild cramping is a normal part of recovery, but intense or worsening pain is not. Pain that keeps building, or cramping that continues well beyond 48 hours after a surgical abortion, needs medical evaluation without delay.

When an Infection Goes Untreated

Infections often take hold when pregnancy tissue is left behind, a condition known as an incomplete abortion.

Left untreated, that infection can spread quickly and develop into pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can cause lasting damage to your reproductive organs.

Possible complications include:

• Ectopic pregnancy, which is caused by scar tissue building up in the fallopian tubes
• Infertility, when scarring keeps a fertilized egg from implanting
• Chronic pelvic pain during ovulation or intercourse
• Abscesses that form in the ovaries or fallopian tubes
• Sepsis, a body’s improper response to an infection that can turn life-threatening quickly

If you think you are experiencing any of these complications, seek medical help. Some are more urgent than others. While surgery can help with uterine scarring, both sepsis and ectopic pregnancy both require an emergency response.

How MyLife Medical & Resource Center Can Help

Whether you are still weighing your options or need to verify your pregnancy health details, MyLife Medical & Resource Center is here for you.

We offer no-cost, lab-quality pregnancy tests and limited ultrasounds so you can understand your pregnancy and your unique risks before making any decision.

If you have already had an abortion and feel that you are struggling emotionally, our post-abortion support gives you a safe place to process what you have been through and take steps toward healing.

You are stronger than you know. Contact us today to schedule your no-cost, confidential appointment.

*MyLife Medical & Resource Center does not refer for or provide abortions.

**All abortion information cited in this blog is accurate at the time of writing.