Recovery

What happens after an abortion

After an abortion, you may get:

tummy cramps or pain for a few days
vaginal bleeding - this can last for several weeks after a medical or surgical abortion

The medicines used in a medical abortion can also cause diarrhoea and make you feel sick. This usually goes away within 1 day.

If the abortion was carried out at a clinic, you do not usually need to have any other tests or appointments after an abortion.

If the abortion was done at home, the abortion provider usually arranges a follow-up appointment. This appointment can be done by phone or text message. They may also send you a special pregnancy test to make sure the pregnancy has ended.

If you're worried, contact 111 or a GP. The clinic or hospital can also give you the number of a 24-hour helpline to call.

Fertility and future pregnancy

After an abortion, your chance of getting pregnant in the future should return to what it was before.

Contact NHS 111 or ask for an urgent GP appointment if:

You've recently had an abortion and you:

get any pain or bleeding that does not get better within a few days
still feel pregnant after about a week
have any signs of infection (including a temperature, flu-like feelings or unusual vaginal discharge)
have any other concerns

You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.

Recovering at home

There are things you can do after an abortion that may help your recovery.

Do

take painkillers like ibuprofen or paracetamol if you're in pain
take a shower or have a bath, as you usually would
If you've had an anaesthetic, make sure someone else is around to help, in case you feel sleepy
use sanitary pads as they can help you see how much you're bleeding
use contraception as it's possible to get pregnant straight after an abortion

Don't

do not have sex until you feel ready

Sexual Health Advice

Throughout this series we have help and advice on staying healthy, dealing with Sexually Transmitted Infections, the risks of each type of the most popular gay sex and what to do if the sex you have is not consentual. The topics covered in this series include:

	This item was in brought to you association with NHS website. Follow the links above for more information and don't forget to check out OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health which features items on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. This week our topic is: L - Lung Cancer.
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