Many women are unsure about how long after an abortion they can have sex. Often, they are told to wait until any post-abortion bleeding dissipates, but this is not necessarily true.
Many doctors recommend waiting until sex is comfortable, which may take time. Depending on the method used, this could be as short as two weeks after a surgical abortion.
Physical Recovery
After your abortion, you will likely experience cramping and bleeding for a few weeks. You may need a few days to rest, but most people can resume their regular activities the next day. If you are a woman who has had a surgical abortion, your doctor will prescribe medicine to reduce the risk of infection and to control the amount of blood. You should also start using tampons or menstrual cups immediately after your abortion so you can better track how much blood you’re losing.
Most doctors say that it’s fine to have sex as soon as you feel ready, but some recommend waiting until any bleeding has stopped. It’s also important to use contraception because you can get pregnant again very quickly if you have unprotected sex.
If you’re having anal sex, it’s a good idea to use a condom because the size of your uterus will be different than usual. If anal sex isn’t usually uncomfortable for you but it seems to be after your abortion, that could be because of the size difference in your uterus.
There’s no medical consensus about when it’s safe to have sex after an abortion, so listen to your body and do what feels right for you. Some women will be ready to have sex as soon as they recover, while others will need more time to feel physically and emotionally prepared.
Emotional Recovery
It’s normal to have a wide range of emotions after an abortion. Some women feel relief, while others may feel sad or stressed. The intensity of these feelings will vary between people, but it’s important to talk about them with your support system. You can also seek help from mental health professionals if you need it.
If you have a surgical abortion, you’ll likely spend about half an hour in recovery after the procedure. You’ll be given medications to help with the bleeding and cramping. You might feel nauseated, so have some ginger tea or mints on hand to help settle your stomach. It’s also a good idea to have a water bottle close by so you can stay hydrated.
The amount of bleeding depends on how far along you were in your pregnancy when the abortion took place. You might have heavy bleeding for one or two days. It’s best to use sanitary pads rather than tampons after an abortion. This will allow you to see how much bleeding you’re having and will help avoid infection.
Your uterus will probably return to its normal size within a few weeks. When this happens, you can start having sex again, but only if you’re using reliable birth control. Your healthcare provider will tell you more about how long you should wait to have sex after an abortion.
Infections
There is a small risk of infection after an abortion. This is because the cervix (the opening of the uterus) can remain a bit open, especially after having a surgical abortion. This can allow bacteria to enter the womb and cause inflammation, which is known as pelvic inflammatory disease. If not treated, infection can spread to the ovaries and fallopian tubes and increase the risk of infertility or ectopic pregnancy (when an egg implants outside the uterus). The Cleveland Clinic reports that one sign of infection is unpleasant odors from the vagina. Another is a fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Infection is less common after a medical abortion than a surgical abortion because most women will take two different medicines to end the pregnancy. The first is a tablet of mifepristone that you can take at home. The second is a pill called misoprostol that softens the cervix so the womb can push out the pregnancy. The doctors will give you instructions for how to take the medications. They will also talk to you about birth control choices.
You may have light to heavy bleeding for one to two days after a medical abortion. You should use sanitary pads, not tampons, until the bleeding stops and small blood clots stop appearing in your vagina. You should not have sex or put anything in your vagina until the bleeding and clots stop.
Pregnancy
Whether you choose to have sex after an abortion will be a personal decision that you make. It is important to consider your emotional and physical recovery from the procedure, as well as your ability to maintain a healthy sexual relationship. You should also be aware of the risk factors involved in having sex after an abortion, such as infection, and make sure that you are prepared to take precautions.
After a surgical abortion, you may experience spotting or bleeding for a few weeks after the procedure. In addition, you will probably ovulate within the first few weeks after the procedure, although it is not always certain when that will happen. The length of time before you ovulate after an abortion will depend on the type of abortion and how far along you were in your pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones can linger in your body for several weeks after the abortion, which can delay menstruation and ovulation.
There is no medical reason not to have oral sex after an abortion, but you should avoid penetrative sex for the time being until any bleeding stops. It is also a good idea to use birth control to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STDs, such as gonorrhea and chlamydia). STDs are common among women who have an abortion, but they are preventable with proper hygiene and regular screening.
