Health Questions and Answers: Is it possible to still be pregnant after a first trimester abortion?

Health Question:
Is it possible to still be pregnant after a first trimester abortion?

Question:
Is it possible to still be pregnant after a first trimester abortion (suction aspiration)? How soon should normal periods begin?

Response:
See aftercare for information about what to expect after an abortion.

A normal period should begin in 4-8 weeks, it really varies with the individual. The body may or may not need some time to re-establish its cycles.
You can become pregnant any time including if you have sex immediately after an abortion. Pregnancy happens if you ovulate and have sperm in the area. Interestingly sperm can live inside a woman's body for up to 7 days following sex. Because your body is not yet back to its normal cycles, there is no way to predict when ovulation will occur.
To prevent infection and to prevent pregnancy, we encourage women not to put anything into their vagina for at least 2 weeks after the abortion.
It is possible that the pregnancy could be "missed" during an early (6-7 weeks) suction aspiration procedure BUT, the clinic staff carefully evaluates the tissue that was removed from your uterus right after the procedure to make sure all the fetal tissue is there. If they don't find it, they will tell you and re-aspirate that same day.
Most abortion appointments include a follow up check during which the clinic will run a pregnancy test to make sure you are not still pregnant.

So, while it is possible, it is unlikely.

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