Pregnancy occurs when a sperm fertilizes an egg after it’s released from the ovary during ovulation. The fertilized egg then travels down into the uterus, where implantation occurs. A successful implantation results in pregnancy.
On average, a full-term pregnancy lasts 40 weeks. There are many factors that can affect a pregnancy. Women who receive an early pregnancy diagnosis and prenatal care are more likely to experience a healthy pregnancy and give birth to a healthy baby.
Not all pregnancies reach full term, unwanted pregnancies are terminated by abortion. Pregnancies are also terminated when they put the mother’s life at risk. Each year, almost half of all pregnancies – 121 million – are unintended; 6 out of 10 unintended pregnancies and 3 out of 10 of all pregnancies end in induced abortion. Abortion is safe when carried out using a method recommended by WHO, appropriate to the pregnancy duration, and by someone with the necessary skills. However, when women with unwanted pregnancies face barriers to obtaining a quality abortion, they often resort to unsafe abortion.
Physical health risks associated with unsafe abortion include:
- incomplete abortion (failure to remove or expel all pregnancy tissue from the uterus);
- hemorrhage (heavy bleeding);
- infection;
- uterine perforation (caused when the uterus is pierced by a sharp object); and
- damage to the genital tract and internal organs as a consequence of inserting dangerous objects into the vagina or anus.
Restrictive abortion regulation can cause distress and stigma, and risk constituting a violation of human rights of women and girls, including the right to privacy and the right to non-discrimination and equality, while also imposing financial burdens on women and girls. Regulations that force women to travel to attain legal care, or require mandatory counseling or waiting periods, lead to loss of income and other financial costs, and can make abortion inaccessible to women with low resources.
I’ve Had 4 Abortions Can I Still Get Pregnant?
Yes, you can still get pregnant even after 4 abortions because it is possible to ovulate within 2 weeks of an abortion. However, frequent abortion and unsafe abortion practices can affect a woman’s ability to get pregnant. For example, surgical abortion can cause scarring of the uterine wall or damage to the cervix. These complications may make it more difficult to get pregnant again.
Each year, 4.7–13.2% of maternal deaths can be attributed to unsafe abortion. In developed regions, it is estimated that 30 women die for every 100 000 unsafe abortions. In developing regions, that number rises to 220 deaths per 100 000 unsafe abortions. Estimates from 2012 indicate that in developing countries alone, 7 million women per year were treated in hospital facilities for complications of unsafe abortion.
