How Soon Can You Get Pregnant After an Abortion?

A positive pregnancy test can evoke a lot of emotions — some happy, some nervous, some complete shock.

But, sometimes, you may feel dread, fear, and confusion.

And that’s okay, too.

However you feel about your result, it’s your emotion — and there’s no wrong way to feel. 🤍

So, if you’ve chosen to not go ahead with your pregnancy, or you’re still deciding what to do, you may want to know when you’d next be able to get pregnant.

If so, you’ve come to the right place.

We’ll walk through it all together, and make sure you’re up to speed on everything you need to know.

In this article: 📝

How long after an abortion pill can you become pregnant?

After you’ve had an abortion, it’s possible for you to become pregnant again almost immediately.

Your periods will typically return in around four to six weeks after you’ve had an abortion.

And, in some cases, you can get pregnant before your period has even returned. 🤯

It all depends on the length of your cycle, and when you next ovulate.

But, length of pregnancy can be a factor to consider here, too.

The later into your pregnancy that the abortion happens, the later the ovulation could be.

It’s also worth noting that doctors generally recommend you should wait around two weeks to have sex again after you’ve had an abortion, to limit the risk of any infection.

And, of course, it’s important to make sure you’re ready to have sex again.

Having an abortion can be a tough experience — physically, you may experience some symptoms, but you may also feel a sense of loss and sadness, too.

Or you may be fearful you’ll get pregnant again.

Choose to have sex again only when the time is right for you and your body. ❤️

What are the chances of getting pregnant two weeks after an abortion?

You can get pregnant as soon as two weeks after a pregnancy loss and, in some cases, even earlier if you have short menstrual cycles.

So, if you’re not looking to get pregnant again, be sure to jump right on some birth control methods — whether that’s condoms, the contraceptive pill, the implant, an IUD… there are a fair few to choose from.

But, if you do want to get pregnant again (for example, if you’ve had to have an abortion for medical reasons), you may find it interesting to know there’s a theory that you have higher odds of conception in the cycle immediately after a pregnancy loss.

Bring on that rainbow baby. 🌈

Now, it’s not totally clear if this is the case… as contradicting studies say that it might take longer to get pregnant after a pregnancy loss.

Either way, it’s best to be prepared that you could get pregnant right away, so make sure you’ve planned for that possibility.

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Does abortion affect fertility?

Having an abortion is not thought to affect your fertility.

In other words, it doesn’t increase your risk of infertility — it would only cause a very small risk if you had a womb infection afterward that wasn’t treated quickly.

In these cases, the infection could spread to your ovaries and fallopian tubes (leading to what’s known as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

If you have PID, there could be a risk of infertility, as well as ectopic pregnancies.

But most infections are treated well before they reach this stage, so as long as you keep an eye on your symptoms after an abortion, you should avoid this risk.

Abortion in general may also slightly increase the risk of your baby being born early in future pregnancies.

So, in short, no — in most cases, abortion shouldn’t affect your future fertility.

Signs of pregnancy after an abortion

Turning your nose up at once-loved scents? 👃

Feeling nauseous, especially in the morning? 🤢

There are a number of early pregnancy signs giving us little hints we may have a little one on the way.

Signs that you’re pregnant after an abortion won’t vary from when you’re pregnant generally.

This goes for ovulation signs, too.

So, watch out for unusual tiredness, cravings, sore breasts, and other tell-tale signs. 💤

But, of course, if you do suspect you’re pregnant, the best thing to do is to take a pregnancy test.

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Are pregnancy tests accurate after an abortion?

So, here’s the thing…

Not really. 😬

Not at first, at least.

After you have an abortion, or a pregnancy loss of any kind, it may take a while for your hCG levels to return to normal.

hCG is a hormone that is detectable in your urine if you’re pregnant.

So, in other words, your pregnancy test may give off a false-positive result for a few weeks.

Frustrating, we know. 😖

Usually, an accurate negative result will show up around 3 weeks after the end of your pregnancy.

So, if you’re still having positive results after this time, check in with your doctor for any complications, or you may be already pregnant again.

I’ve had a D&C — could that affect my fertility for future pregnancies?

Dilation and curettage (D&C) is a procedure to remove tissue from inside your uterus.

This would be done to clear away any tissues that still remain in the uterus after a pregnancy loss, or an abortion.

Most cases of abortion are likely to be taken care of relatively early into the pregnancy, which is when you can take an abortion pill.

A D&C is likely to be needed if your pregnancy was more than 10 weeks.

In some cases, you can get complications from a D&C, such as Asherman’s syndrome.

This is when scar tissue develops on the uterus, which could impact future fertility.

So, yes — D&C could affect your future fertility, but only in very rare situations.

Can you have a successful positive pregnancy result after a D&C before first period?

Yes — you can!

As you can ovulate around 2 weeks after an abortion (depending on your cycle), you can become pregnant fairly quickly.

But, it’s also worth knowing that some studies say you may have an increase in abnormal bleeding during a pregnancy following a D&C.

Another study says you may also have an increased risk of postpartum bleeding if you have a history of D&C.

So, be sure to check in with your doc if you’re thinking of getting pregnant again soon after a D&C, and they can advise you on the best next steps.

Here at Peanut, we believe in the right to choose.

It’s our body, our choice.

And we know how complicated it can be when we see those two lines on the test.

Sometimes, it’s just not the right decision to go ahead with your pregnancy.

But, there’s never any judgment from us. ❤️

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