Abortion
Day 16 after abortion: when to start the contraceptive pill and the IUD
Day 16 · Recovery after abortion
The condom is the temporary solution for these weeks. Day sixteen is a good time to think about the regular method you will switch to after your first period: if you weigh the options now, you will be ready when your period comes.
This page does not recommend a method. It brings together the timing the clinic's doctor sets for the pill and the intrauterine device, the reason for it and the rules that apply until then.
Short answer
When can you start the contraceptive pill and the IUD after an abortion?
At SoftCare Clinic, you wait for the first period before starting the contraceptive pill after an abortion. An intrauterine device (IUD, coil) can be inserted in the same session as the procedure, but the clinic's doctor does not recommend or do this; for the device too, you wait for the first period. Until then a condom is used every time; the morning-after pill is not recommended until the first period.
Today's topic on the calendar
The condom band starts after the first week and lasts until the first period; in this time the morning-after pill is an option the clinic does not recommend.
On a twenty-eight-day calendar, the condom band from day eight to the first period and the morning-after pill warning band running for the same period.When do you start the contraceptive pill after an abortion?
The clinic's rule is clear; to start the pill, the first period has to come. The pill is not started in the weeks after the procedure.
According to the clinic's patient information, the first period comes within 40 days on average; in some women it can take 45 days. You decide which day to start the pill by talking to your doctor when your period comes. You are not expected to start on your own, buying it from a pharmacy.
Why isn't the IUD inserted on the same day as the abortion?
Technically, an intrauterine device can be inserted in the same session as the procedure. The clinic's doctor, however, does not recommend or follow this approach.
The reason is this: while the uterus is recovering and discharge continues, the device can move out of place or slip. According to the doctor, the right time is when the first period comes; the device is inserted after the uterus has recovered.
What about methods other than the pill and the IUD?
There is no shared timetable for other methods. Your doctor assesses your situation and makes a personal plan; which method starts when is decided in this consultation.
The clinic's doctor asks that a regular method of contraception definitely be chosen after the first period. Continuous condom use is recommended for women who do not want a pregnancy and have no regular method.
Which rules apply until the first period?
- Condom: after the first week, every time until the first period.
- Morning-after pill: the clinic's doctor does not recommend it until the first period.
- Medicines that affect hormones: they can change the cycle; do not start them without consulting your doctor.
Do today
- Write down the method you have in mind and your questions.
- Record the day your first period starts.
- Keep using condoms until you switch to a regular method.
Don't do today
- Do not start the contraceptive pill without waiting for your first period.
- Do not use the morning-after pill as a substitute for regular contraception.
- Do not stop using condoms before a new method has been discussed.
Special note
If you are considering an intrauterine device
The clinic's doctor does not insert the intrauterine device in the same session as the procedure; during recovery the device can shift. When your first period comes, you can call the clinic and plan the insertion day. Until then the condom rule does not change.
Special note
If you have more than one partner
The clinic's doctor recommends the condom in every case when there is more than one partner. It is advised to keep using condoms even after you switch to a regular method such as the pill or an intrauterine device.
When should you call?
Call 112 first (if you are abroad, that country's emergency number)
- Fainting: If you faint, call 112 first; if you are abroad, call the emergency number of the country you are in.
Call the clinic straight away
- Heavy bleeding: Soaking 2–3 pads within one hour. A total of 2–3 pads over the whole day is normal.
- Fever: A temperature of 38 °C or higher, or fever together with weakness.
- Severe pain: Severe abdominal or back pain that does not ease with painkillers.
- Foul-smelling discharge: Unusual, foul-smelling vaginal discharge.
- Large clot: Passing a clot the size of a golf ball.
Call the clinic
- If your first period has come and you want to switch to a regular method, call the clinic and ask for a consultation.
- Dizziness or shivering: Dizziness, chills and shivering that do not pass.
- Hard abdomen: The abdomen becoming hard, or clear tenderness when touched.
- Burning on urination: Burning or stinging when passing urine.
SoftCare Clinic patients can reach the doctor's assistant or a nurse 24 hours a day; when needed, they contact the doctor. Call whenever you are unsure; what your own doctor tells you always comes first.
Frequently asked questions
When is an IUD inserted after an abortion?
At SoftCare Clinic, you wait for the first period for an intrauterine device (IUD, coil). Although the device can be inserted in the same session as the procedure, the clinic's doctor does not recommend or do this, because during recovery and discharge the device can move or slip. Until the device is inserted, a condom is needed every time after the first week.
Do you start the contraceptive pill straight away after an abortion?
No. At SoftCare Clinic, you wait for the first period after the abortion before starting the pill. The clinic's doctor notes that medicines affecting hormones taken in this period can change the cycle. When your first period comes, discuss the start day with your doctor; until then use condoms.
Until when are condoms used after an abortion?
Under the clinic's rule there is no sex in the first week; after that, a condom is used every time until the first period. After the first period a regular method of contraception is chosen. Continuous condom use is recommended for women who do not want a pregnancy and have no regular method; if there is more than one partner, the condom is recommended in every case.
Sources
SoftCare Clinic for your questions
Our patients can reach a nurse and the doctor's assistant 24 hours a day.
This page is for general information; it does not replace an examination or your doctor's advice. Every woman recovers differently. The times and rules your doctor gives you always take priority over those on this page.
Medically reviewed by Op. Dr. Şükrü Sanus, Obstetrician & Gynecologist · Last medical review: