Abortion
Day 19 after abortion: who gets the anti-D injection, and when?
Day 19 · Recovery after abortion
The plus or minus sign next to your blood group shows your Rh: plus means Rh positive, minus means Rh negative. Rarely thought about in daily life, this sign is a detail worth asking about after an abortion.
In the clinic's practice the injection is given on the day after the procedure; so this matter has already been decided for you. Today's page is a short check: do you know what the decision was? If not, the way to find out is below.
Short answer
Who gets the anti-D injection after an abortion, and when?
At SoftCare Clinic, the doctor decides whether the anti-D (Rh) injection is needed, based on the week in which the pregnancy ended and the patient's situation. If considered necessary, the injection is given only to patients whose blood group is Rh negative, on the day after the procedure. If a patient's blood group is unknown, it is checked first. On day 19, anyone who is unsure can ask the clinic.
Blood group and the injection
The minus sign in a blood group shows Rh negative; if needed, the injection is given only to this group, on the day after the procedure.
Two blood drops side by side; one with a plus sign and one with a minus sign, and a syringe icon next to the drop with the minus sign.Who is given the anti-D injection?
Under the clinic's rule, when considered necessary the injection is given only to patients whose blood group is Rh negative. The UK's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) also writes that the anti-D injection may be recommended for Rh-negative women. If your blood group is Rh positive, the injection does not come into question for you.
The anti-D injection is also called the Rh injection or the blood-incompatibility injection; whichever name you use when you call the clinic, they will understand what you are asking.
Who decides whether the injection is needed, and on what basis?
The doctor decides. They look at two things: the week in which the pregnancy ended and the patient's own situation. The further along the pregnancy, the greater the need for the injection.
So not every Rh-negative patient may be given the injection. If you were not given it, you can ask why. If the blood group is unknown, it is first checked at the clinic.
When is the anti-D injection given?
For patients for whom it is considered necessary, the injection is given on the day after the procedure. The doctor decides the dose and administration; you are not expected to look for an injection at a pharmacy on your own.
What should I do if I am unsure on day nineteen?
A lot happens at once on the procedure day and the day after; you may not remember in detail what was done for you. Call the clinic and ask two things: what is your blood group on record, and was the injection given?
The answer is in the clinic's records; a phone call is enough to find out. If it was not given, the medical team will consult the doctor and let you know whether anything is needed now.
Do today
- Find out your blood group and Rh and write them down somewhere.
- If the injection was given, note its date.
- If you are unsure, call the clinic and have your records checked.
Don't do today
- If you know you are Rh negative, do not let the matter go without asking.
- Do not guess your own group from your family members' blood groups.
- Do not try to get an injection on your own initiative.
Special note
If you do not know your blood group
If a patient's blood group is unknown, it is checked at the clinic. If you do not remember the result or are unsure of your Rh, call the clinic and find out the blood group in your records; do not guess from your family members' groups.
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 you are Rh negative and do not know whether the injection was given, call the clinic.
- 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
Is the anti-D injection essential after an abortion?
Not for everyone. At SoftCare Clinic the doctor decides whether the injection is needed, based on the week in which the pregnancy ended and the patient's situation; the need increases in later weeks. If considered necessary, the injection is given only to patients whose blood group is Rh negative. It is not given to those whose blood group is Rh positive.
How many days after an abortion is the anti-D injection given?
At SoftCare Clinic, if the doctor considers it necessary, the anti-D injection is given on the day after the procedure. If you do not remember whether you were given the injection, you can call the clinic and ask about your records. On day 19 after an abortion, the doctor will say what is recommended for an Rh-negative patient who was not given the injection.
If my blood group is Rh positive, do I need to do anything?
No. Under the clinic's rule, the anti-D injection is given, when considered necessary, only to Rh-negative patients; with an Rh-positive blood group the injection does not come into question. If you are unsure of your blood group, you can have the clinic's records checked; if a patient's group is unknown, it is checked at the clinic.
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: