The effects of abortion on the health of a woman's body need to be watched out for

Based on data from a joint study belonging to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Guttmacher Institute, one in four pregnancies in the world each year ends in an abortion. The number of abortions in the country itself is still quite high. BKKBN (National Population and Family Planning Board) noted that abortion cases in Indonesia could reach 2.4 million per year.

Whatever the reason, abortion is not an easy decision to make. But whether it's an official medical or under-handed abortion, there is always a potential risk of complications and the effects of an abortion that you should be aware of. Some of them can be very fatal.

What are the possible effects of an abortion?

There is countless academic evidence that reports on the potential damaging effects of abortion. Common and immediate side effects after the abortion include stomach pain and cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and spotting. Beyond this, the effects of abortion can lead to more dangerous problems. About 10 percent of abortion patients suffer immediate complications, and one-fifth are life-threatening cases.

So it is important to be aware of the serious effects of abortion that may arise. Most of the side effects of abortion are time-consuming and may not appear for days, months, or even years. Severe abortion side effects require immediate medical assistance.

1. Heavy vaginal bleeding

Heavy bleeding as a result of a serious abortion is generally accompanied by a high fever and lumps of fetal tissue from the uterus. Heavy bleeding is reported to occur in 1 in 1000 abortion events.

Heavy bleeding can mean:

A blood clot / tissue larger than a golf ball
Lasts 2 hours or more
The blood flow is so heavy that it requires you to change your sanitary napkin more than 2 times an hour, for 2 hours straight
Heavy bleeding for 12 consecutive hours

Both spontaneous, medical, and illegal abortion (with illegally obtained abortion drugs or other "alternative" means) can cause heavy bleeding. Very heavy vaginal bleeding can lead to death, especially if the abortion was carried out illegally by improper methods.

2. Infection

Infection is an abortion effect that occurs in 1 in 10 cases. In a meta-analysis published in the journal Lancet that looked at 1,182 cases of medical abortion under the close supervision of a team of hospital doctors, 27 percent of patients had infections lasting 3 or more days as a result of the abortion.

Infection occurs because the cervix is dilated during the abortion drug-induced abortion process (both prescription and black market). This then causes bacteria from outside to easily enter the body, leading to severe infections in the uterus, fallopian tubes, and pelvis.

Signs of infection after an abortion include symptoms that appear similar to standard illnesses, such as headache, muscle aches, dizziness, or a general "unwell" sensation. High fever is another example of a symptom of infection after an abortion, although it is not uncommon to have an infection that is not accompanied by fever. See your doctor right away if you have a high fever (above 38ºC) after the abortion which is accompanied by severe stomach and back pain that makes it difficult for you to stand up, and vaginal discharge that smells abnormally.

3. Sepsis

In most cases, the infection remains in one specific area (uterus, for example). However, in more severe cases, the bacterial infection gets into your bloodstream and travels throughout your body. This is known as sepsis. And when the infection has already attacked your body getting worse, causing blood pressure to drop very low, this is known as septic shock. Septic shock after abortion is considered an emergency condition.

There are two main factors that can play an important role in increasing your risk of sepsis and ultimately, septic shock after an abortion: incomplete abortion (pieces of pregnancy residue are still trapped in the body after the abortion) and bacterial infection of the uterus during the abortion (either surgically). or independently).

If you have recently had an abortion and experience any of the following symptoms, seek medical attention immediately:

Very high (above 38ºC) or very low body temperature
Heavy bleeding
Severe pain
Pale arms and legs, too cold
Sensation of being dazed, confused, restless, or tired
Trembling shivering
Low blood pressure, especially when standing
Inability to urinate
The heart beats fast and hard; heart palpitations
Difficulty breathing, shallow breathing with shortness of breath

4. Damage to the uterus

Uterine damage occurs in about 250 out of a thousand cases of surgical abortions and 1 in a thousand cases of drug (prescription and nonprescription) abortions performed at 12-24 weeks of gestation.

Uterine damage includes damage to the cervix, perforation of the uterus, and tearing of the uterus (laceration). However, most of this damage can go undiagnosed and untreated unless a doctor performs a laparoscopic visualization.

The risk of uterine perforation is increased in women who have previously given birth and for those who received general anesthesia at the time of the abortion. The risk of cervical damage is greater in adolescents who have self-induced abortions in the second trimester, and when abortion practitioners fail to insert laminaria for cervical dilation.

5. Pelvic inflammatory infection

Pelvic inflammatory infection (PID) is a disease that can cause an increased risk of an ectopic pregnancy and reduce future female fertility. This condition is potentially life threatening. Approximately 5% of women who were not infected with other infections before pregnancy and during abortion can develop PID within 4 weeks after the abortion in the first trimester.

The risk of PID increases in cases of spontaneous abortion because of the opportunity for pregnancy tissue to become trapped in the uterus as well as the risk of heavy bleeding. Both are good media for bacterial growth; In addition, in women who have had moderate to severe anemia from the start, further blood loss will increase the chance of infection. In induced abortion (both legal and illegal), external instruments and manipulation also increase the likelihood of infection.

6. Endometritis

Endometritis is an inflammatory condition of the lining of the uterus, and usually due to infection. Endometritis is a risk of abortion effects that may occur in all, but especially for adolescents. Adolescent girls are reportedly 2.5 times more likely to develop endometritis after abortion than women ages 20-29.

Untreated infections can lead to complications in the reproductive organs, fertility problems, and other general health problems.

7. Cancer

Women who had an abortion once had a 2.3 times higher risk of developing cervical cancer than women who had never had an abortion. Women who had two or more abortions had an increased risk of up to 4.92.

The increased risk of ovarian cancer and liver cancer is also associated with single and multiple abortion. The increase in post-abortion cancer may be caused by abnormal hormonal disruption of pregnancy cells during and untreated cervical damage or increased stress and the negative impact of stress on the immune system.

While it is inversely related to public myth, there is no link between abortion and an increased risk of breast cancer.

8. Death

Severe bleeding, severe infection, pulmonary embolism, failed anesthesia, and undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy are some of the leading causes of abortion-related maternal death in the week following.

A 1997 study in Finland reported that women who had an abortion were four times more likely to die from a health condition in the following year than women who continued their pregnancies until they were of age. The study also found that women who had abortions had a greater risk of death from suicide and were victims of homicide (by family members or partners) than women who continued to become pregnant for up to 9 months.

It is important to understand that some of the above effects of abortion are rare and that some of the risks also appear to be similar to that of childbirth complications. What matters is that you are aware of the risks as you work to make important decisions about your pregnancy.