Out of Place

Ectopic Pregnancy

By Michele St. Martin

To this day, Cowell doesn't know why she had an ectopic pregnancy. She does know that she is at risk for another; she has been told that the normal risk for ectopic pregnancy is 1 in 200, and that her risk is 1 in 80. As a nurse, knows that early detection of an ectopic pregnancy is key in preserving fertility and protecting her health. She is now seeing a specialist, and for any future pregnancies, she will have very early monitoring.

While there is no way to prevent ectopic pregnancy, short of removing the fallopian tubes, there are factors to tell you if you are at risk for an ectopic pregnancy. Mann had never heard of ectopic pregnancy until she was diagnosed with one; she now knows more than she ever wanted to about them, and speculates as to the cause of her ectopic pregnancies.

"Most likely, my tubes were damaged from an undiagnosed bout with pelvic inflammatory disease, and I used to douche frequently in my teens," she says. "I have since learned that douching will flush bacteria up into your tubes, which can cause greater infection and scarring."

You may be at greater than normal risk for ectopic pregnancy if you have a history of:

• Previous pelvic infections
• Previous ectopic pregnancy
• Previous uterine, pelvic or abdominal surgery
• In-vitro fertilization
• Endometriosis
• Use of intrauterine devices (IUDs)
• Failed sterilization procedures
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