Ectopic Pregnancy + Abortion
Ectopic pregnancies occur in about 2% of all pregnancies.
Abortion does not treat ectopic pregnancy. Rule out the risk of undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy by having an ultrasound prior to any abortion.
Seek emergency medical help if you have any of these signs or symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy:
Severe abdominal or pelvic pain accompanied by vaginal bleeding
Shoulder pain
Treatment
It is important to act immediately if you experience any of the above symptoms following a positive pregnancy test as a ruptured fallopian tube is a life-threatening event.
To prevent life-threatening complications, the fertilized egg needs to be removed. Depending on your symptoms and when the ectopic pregnancy is discovered, this may be done using medication, laparoscopic surgery or abdominal surgery.
Treatment for an ectopic pregnancy that removes the fertilized egg is not an abortion; it is a life-saving medical procedure, which treats a medical emergency event for the mother. An abortion is the deliberate termination of a viable intrauterine pregnancy. In some cases, the fallopian tube can be saved. Typically, however, a ruptured fallopian tube must be removed.