Pregnancy: Could I Be Pregnant? / Question
Published: June 22, 2005
Dear TeenHealthFX,
For the past month i've been worried i am pregnant by my boyfriend, as we had unprotected sex within only 6 days of me going on the pill. I've been waiting for my period to come and for the past few days ive had really bad cramps in my stomach (which i never normally get with my period) and while i was in the shower i started to bleed a little bit and i thought my period was coming but then this mass of tissue came out and some of it had red blood vessels in it at one end where it looked like it was torn and the rest was a flesh coloured, flat mass of tissue about the size of a 50 cent piece although not round. And I think i may have been pregnant and had a miscarriage, which would explain the abnormal cramping. Is this what has happened? I'm positive it wasn't a clot it was definitely flesh and if this was a miscarriage, does this mean i may suffer from them in the future?
Signed: Is This A Miscarraige?
Dear Is This A Miscarraige?,
It is impossible to say whether you had a miscarriage or a heavy period without doing a blood or urine test or examining the tissue that you passed in a pathology lab. TeenHealthFX recommends that if you are still bleeding or cramping that you see a doctor as soon as possible.
Miscarriage in early pregnancy is very common. Studies show that about 10 to 20 percent of women who know they are pregnant have a miscarriage sometime before 20 weeks of pregnancy. But the actual rate of miscarriages is even higher since many women have very early miscarriages without ever realizing that they were pregnant.
A history of previous miscarriage may increase the risk for future miscarriage. For example, the risk of miscarriage in future pregnancy is about 20 percent after one miscarriage, 28 percent after two, and 43 percent after three or more miscarriages. By comparison, only 5 percent of women whose previous pregnancy was successful miscarried in the next pregnancy.
What does this information mean for you? TeenHealthFX recommends that you see your doctor and share your concerns. We also encourage you to practice safer sex – using a condom and another form of birth control to prevent pregnancy until you are ready to become a parent.
If you don't have a doctor and live in northern New Jersey, you can call the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at 973-971-6475 for an appointment or contact your local teen health center or Planned Parenthood.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
A national study of women ages 15-44 found that women were almost twice as likely to receive contraceptive services rather than STD services.
