Many people have heard such an advertising slogan about abortion: easy for three minutes, and the troubles will disappear. Is it really as painless and harmless as advertised? In fact, this is not the case, and the damage caused by abortion to women's fertility should not be underestimated.
Painless abortion
The damage is endless
This is a kind of negative pressure uterine suction under ultrasound monitoring, which is somewhat similar to the working principle of vacuum cleaner, that is, a metal suction tube is used, one end is connected to the negative pressure suction device through a leather tube, and the other end is probed into the uterine cavity from the cervix, and the embryo is separated from the uterus and sucked out of the fetal sac and decidual tissue by the effect of negative pressure suction. This process takes 3~5 minutes, because there is anesthesia, so the whole operation is painless, but painless does not mean harmless.
Although abortion is a mature operation with high safety, it is ultimately an artificial termination of pregnancy through traumatic methods, which is not a natural process and is destructive. In this short period of time, some surgical complications such as uterine perforation, heavy bleeding, abortion syndrome, anesthesia accident, etc., may still occur. Incomplete abortion, endometrial injury, intrauterine adhesions, pelvic inflammatory disease, adenomyosis, menstrual abnormalities may occur after surgery. Moreover, as the number of abortions increases, the incidence of complications such as intrauterine adhesions and adenomyosis also increases.
In addition, abortion can also lead to secondary infertility. A woman's endometrium is very valuable and fragile, and it is divided into a functional layer and a basal layer. The functional layer periodically grows, exfoliates, and regrows with changes in estrogen and progesterone levels...... The menstrual period of each month is the exfoliation and bleeding of the functional layer, while the basal layer is unchanged. The relationship between the functional layer and the basal layer is like the red and white layers of a watermelon, and there is no clear boundary between the two. Abortion surgery is like cutting leeks, cutting shallow may lead to residue, and deep cutting may cause endometrial damage.
Once the surgery damages the basal layer of the endometrium, it cannot be completely repaired, which may lead to intrauterine adhesions and thinning of the endometrium. The placenta that the fetus needs to attach to for growth and development is attached to the endometrium, and if the endometrium is full of holes, the placenta will grow like a barren land. The fetus cannot absorb sufficient nutrients, and fetal arrest, recurrent miscarriage, intrauterine growth retardation, premature birth, intrauterine fetal death, etc. may occur. In addition, endometrial injury can also increase the occurrence of other pregnancy complications during pregnancy, such as placental adhesions, placenta previa, and postpartum hemorrhage.
The purpose of introducing these potential risks is to truly understand the abortion procedure, which must not be used as a contraceptive measure.
Highly effective contraception
Protects female fertility
Scientific and effective contraception is very important for every woman of childbearing age. Contraception is a protracted battle, in the childbearing age of women 14~49 years old, if there is sexual life, except for the stage of preparing for pregnancy and pregnancy, contraception is needed at other times. There are many methods of contraception, and the effectiveness can be high, medium, and low, but none of them can be 100% effective.
Truly effective contraceptive methods include tubal or vasectomy, intrauterine devices, and oral short-acting contraceptives. Female fallopian tubes and male vasectomy are highly effective contraceptive measures that need to be done surgically, and if there is a need for fertility, it will need to be reversed. This form of contraception is more suitable for couples who already have children and do not plan to have another child.
The intrauterine device is commonly known as the "upper ring", which is also a highly effective contraceptive method, and this contraceptive method does not affect the reproductive function. Some people think that "Sheung Wan" is a Chinese characteristic, but in fact, many people abroad use this contraceptive method. At present, IUDs are mainly divided into two categories, one is a metal ring, and the other is an extended-release levonorgestrel intrauterine system that releases a certain amount of hormone every day. The second type of contraceptive principle is mainly to change the state of the intima and interfere with the implantation of the fertilized egg, so as to play a highly effective contraceptive role. Women who are not allergic to metal and have normal menstrual flow can choose a metal intrauterine device, which is valid for 10~15 years. Women with dysmenorrhea and excessive menstrual bleeding can choose the levonorgestrel intrauterine release system for contraception. This method can also relieve menstrual cramps and heavy menstrual bleeding while preventing pregnancy.
Taking combined short-acting oral contraceptives is also a highly effective and reversible form of contraception. The combined short-acting oral contraceptive pill is a combination of estrogen + progestin, which can be taken regularly once a day to achieve the effect of inhibiting ovulation. This method is more than 99% effective in preventing pregnancy and can also make the menstrual cycle regular. Women with pimples can also choose this option, as combined short-acting oral contraceptives can treat mild to moderate acne with significant results. Studies have shown that long-term use of combined short-acting oral contraceptives can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer and even rectal cancer. The use rate of this contraceptive method in European and American countries is as high as 30%~40%. When you want to have a baby, you can try to get pregnant by stopping the drug.
The following forms of contraception
It's actually not safe
1. Extracorporeal ejaculation. Contraceptive methods of external ejaculation are not reliable. First of all, this form of contraception requires the man to have very strong self-control. Secondly, a small amount of sperm is present in the prostate fluid that comes out of the man before ejaculation, and this part of the sperm is enough to cause the woman to become pregnant. Therefore, the contraceptive method of external ejaculation is not recommended for everyone, and the failure rate is 25%~27%.
2. Emergency contraceptives. Many women are familiar with emergency contraception, but it is only a remedy and not a regular form of contraception. Emergency contraceptive pills have a large hormone content, and repeated use can easily cause menstrual cycle disorders and ovarian dysfunction, especially repeated use in the same menstrual cycle, which is very harmful to ovarian function.
3. Use condoms. The use of condoms is a medium-potency contraceptive method, with a failure rate of 2%~15%, and its contraceptive effect depends largely on the correctness of use and the degree of cooperation of the male partner. When using, it should be used every time, all the time, and correctly. If a condom breaks or falls off, it can lead to an unwanted pregnancy. However, the most unique advantage of using condoms is that it avoids the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Women can choose to use it according to their own situation.
Some friends asked, the safe period should be quite safe, right? The answer is no. Because a woman's ovulation period is not accurate, sometimes early, sometimes late, and even changes in mood and stress may cause changes in a woman's ovulation time, so this contraceptive method is not safe, it is an inefficient contraceptive method, and it is not recommended for everyone to use it.
Text: Wang Songwei, Department of Family Planning, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University
Editor: Mu Xinyu Guan Zhongyao
Proofreader: Li Shiyao
Review: Qin Mingrui, Xu Bingnan