Pregnancy: Could I Be Pregnant? / Question
Published: December 10, 2002
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I have pain near my fallopian tube. Could this be an ectopic pregnancy?
Signed: Pain Near Fallopian Tube
Dear Pain Near Fallopian Tube,
The early signs and symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy are the following:However, if you are pregnant or suspect that you are pregnant, TeenHealthFX recommends that you go to a medical professional for an exam as soon as possible, especially since you have been experiencing pain. If you do not feel comfortable with your family's doctor, local teen health centers or Planned Parenthood are good places to start. There you can receive anonymous care (means they will not need your parent's permission to see you) and on low/no cost basis. If you live in northern New Jersey you can call the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at 973.971.6475 to make an appointment to see a doctor.
An ectopic pregnancy is a very dangerous situation. It remains the leading cause of maternal death from bleeding and it sharply reduces a woman's chance of more pregnancies because of damage to or destruction of a fallopian tube.
Some risk factors for an ectopic pregnancy include:
Medical management includes termination of the pregnancy. Early detection while the tube is unruptured is very important, so see a medical professional as soon as possible.
If you are not pregnant, the teen health clinic staff can discuss birth control methods with you.. Since you are sexually active, you should go to see a doctor anyway preferably an adolescent medicine specialist or gynecologist and discuss safer sex (condom use and a second method of birth control like Depo-Provera or birth control pills to prevent unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
More than four in 10 young women become pregnant at least once before they reach the age of 20 - nearly one million a year teen pregnancies a year 
