Abortion Pill & Ectopic Pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy. The term has appeared in many news articles recently, especially in relation to abortion. But what exactly is an ectopic pregnancy? What if I take the abortion pill & my pregnancy is ectopic? What happens if a woman takes the abortion pill without knowing that her pregnancy is ectopic? And how can she ensure that her pregnancy is not ectopic before moving on with an abortion? In this article, we are going to summarize the essential facts about ectopic pregnancy so that you feel empowered to make an informed decision.

What is an Ectopic Pregnancy?

An ectopic pregnancy, as its name suggests, is a pregnancy that is out of place. While normal pregnancies grow in the uterus, an ectopic pregnancy is located outside of it, usually in a fallopian tube (which is where egg and sperm meet). In some rare cases, the fertilized egg can also attach itself to other parts of a woman’s body, namely, her belly, her ovary, her cervix (which is the opening of the uterus), or to a scar from a previous C-section.

Distribution of Ectopic Pregnancy Locations:

• Fallopian tube: 90% of the time
• Abdomen or the cervix: 1% of cases
• C-section scar: 1 to 3% of the time

Even more rarely, a pregnancy can be both normal and ectopic, meaning that one embryo will be located in the uterus and another one outside of it. It’s called a “heterotopic” pregnancy and can be trickier to diagnose. Studies have shown that although a heterotopic pregnancy happens in 1 to 4,000 to 1 in 30,000 cases in natural pregnancies, their prevalence is 1 in 100 when a woman uses IVF.

Who is more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy?

Ectopic pregnancies represent 1 to 2% of all pregnancies, but certain factors can make a woman more at risk for having one. According to ACOG, about half of ectopic pregnancies don’t have a clear cause. However, the following risk factors can make a woman more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy:

Medical Conditions

• Anatomical abnormalities of the fallopian tubes: if the tubes are misshapen, the fertilized egg will have a harder time traveling through them to reach the uterus.
• Previous infections and PID: Sexually Transmitted Infections can cause inflammation and scarring in the reproductive tract, as well as lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. Other infections can also cause PID.
• Endometriosis: an often painful chronic disorder in which a similar type of cells to those lining the uterus grow in other organs such as the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, or the intestines. If these cells grow inside the fallopian tubes, they can block the way for the fertilized egg to implant in the uterus.
• Tubal, abdominal, or pelvic surgeries: such as surgical treatment of a previous ectopic pregnancy or the removal of the appendix. These could lead to scarring that can in turn increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy.

Medical History and Lifestyle

• Being 35 and older: being older increases the risk of negative reproductive outcomes such as miscarriage, stillbirth, but also ectopic pregnancy.
• Smoking: a woman who smokes or who is exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke is 4 to 20 times more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy if she gets pregnant.
• IUD and tubal ligations: if a woman were to get pregnant while having an IUD inserted (especially if it’s a hormonal IUD), or after getting her tubes tied, then the pregnancy is more likely to be ectopic.
• History of ectopic pregnancies: a woman who had an ectopic pregnancy once is 17 times more at risk of having another.
• Fertility treatment: fertility treatments such as IVF can increase not only the risk of a typical ectopic pregnancy but also the risk of heterotopic pregnancies.
• Multiple abortions: some studies have shown that having more than one abortion can also increase the risk.

The Importance of Diagnosis

An ultrasound is essential to check whether a pregnancy is located in the uterus. Since ectopic pregnancies are usually nonviable (unless they are in the abdominal cavity, but even then, only a couple of successful cases have been reported in scientific journals) and can become life-threatening if left untreated, it’s important to get medical care. In case there is any doubt about the location of your pregnancy, a medical professional should review the ultrasound to confirm pregnancy location.