While abortion is often described as a simple procedure, it carries the potential for serious complications, and infection is one of the most important to watch for.
Whether you are still weighing your options or have already ended a pregnancy, learning these warning signs is one of the most practical ways to care for your health.
Because women are rarely monitored in the days after an abortion, the responsibility of noticing and reporting symptoms often falls to you.
Knowing what is normal and what is not can help you act quickly if something feels wrong.
Common Signs of Infection
A medical abortion and a surgical abortion can both lead to infection.
The symptoms overlap, though the specifics differ. If you notice any of the following, seek medical attention right away.
Heavy Bleeding
Some bleeding is expected, but soaking through two or more pads in an hour after a medical abortion, or one or more pads in an hour after a surgical abortion, is a reason to call for help.
Fever
After a medical abortion, report a fever that lasts more than 24 to 48 hours, or that begins after you take misoprostol. After a surgical abortion, report any fever at once.
Foul-Smelling Discharge
A change in the odor of your vaginal discharge can signal infection after either type of abortion and should be reported immediately.
Severe Abdominal or Back Pain
Cramping is expected as the body passes the pregnancy, but pain that turns severe, or cramping that lasts beyond 48 hours after a surgical abortion, may point to infection.
When Infection Is Left Untreated
Infection frequently develops when pregnancy tissue remains in the uterus, known as an incomplete abortion.
Left untreated, it can progress to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which scars the reproductive organs and raises the risk of ectopic pregnancy, infertility, and chronic pelvic pain.
In the most serious cases, infection can lead to hemorrhage or sepsis, both of which are life-threatening.
We Are Here for You
At the Safe Harbor Women’s Medical Clinic, care sits at the center of everything we do.
If you are pregnant and thinking through your options, our free and confidential services include lab-quality pregnancy testing, on-site ultrasound to confirm a viable uterine pregnancy, and clear pregnancy options information, all provided by licensed medical personnel.
If you have already had an abortion, our post-abortion support is here to walk alongside you, and you are always welcome to call and speak with a medical professional about any symptom that worries you.
Contact us today to schedule your free, confidential appointment.