Same Day Appointments Available
Same Day Appointments Available
Don’t endanger your future reproductive health, your life, or the life of your fetus. Here’s a primer on what you need to know about ectopic pregnancy, its symptoms, and risks, whether you can detect it on a pregnancy test, and more.
When a fertilized egg implants itself outside the uterus, it’s considered an ectopic pregnancy.
The Cleveland Clinic notes, “The egg is meant to travel down your fallopian tube and embed itself into the wall of your uterus, where it can develop. In an ectopic pregnancy, the egg implants in one of the structures along the way.”
Sometimes the fertilized egg attaches to the ovary, the abdominal cavity, or the cervix, according to the Mayo Clinic. Most often in ectopic pregnancies, however, the zygote, the fertilized egg, attaches itself to the fallopian tube. It can’t survive outside the nurturing environment of the uterus. If left untreated, the tissue will grow. An ectopic pregnancy may cause a fallopian tube to burst, causing internal bleeding that can be fatal.
Symptoms of an Ectopic Pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy is one that is growing in the wrong place. While normally the baby grows inside the uterus, an ectopic pregnancy can be in the fallopian tube, ovary, cervix, or the abdominal cavity. Since ectopic pregnancies in the fallopian tube are much more common than in other locations these are the symptoms you should look out for:
If your ectopic pregnancy has ruptured, you will likely have blood in your abdominal cavity that may cause:
Will It Show Up On A Pregnancy Test?
In a typical pregnancy, hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in urine signals a positive result on home pregnancy tests, which are about 98%-99% accurate.
Although rare, ectopic pregnancies can sometimes result in a false negative on a home pregnancy test due to lower levels of hCG compared to a normal pregnancy. These hormone levels tend to rise more quickly in a healthy pregnancy than in an ectopic pregnancy.
An ectopic pregnancy can usually be detected through blood tests, ultrasounds, and more sophisticated testing
A number of factors can increase your risk of experiencing an ectopic pregnancy, including being over 35, STIs, tubal ligation, a history of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), being a smoker or former smoker, IVF treatment, and certain kinds of birth control, such as IUDs, and progestin only oral contraceptives. PID is commonly thought to be the leading cause of an ectopic pregnancy.
Ectopic pregnancies account for about 2% of all pregnancies, according to the National Institutes of Health. Talk with your health care provider about your risk levels.
Since 1986, Alcove Health has provided services, advocacy, and support for more than 5,000 women in the Newport News, Hampton, Williamsburg, and York County communities. With our free, confidential services, women can count on evidence-based medical information to make the best decisions for their reproductive health.
An ectopic pregnancy can cause serious complications or even death. If you suspect an ectopic pregnancy, go to the Emergency Department immediately. Otherwise, please book an appointment today, or fill out this short form and someone from Alcove will call you back. Our nurses are here to provide compassionate support and reliable medical services to help you navigate your options.
What Women Are Saying
about Alcove Health on Google Reviews
Getting Ready For Your Visit
At Alcove Health, our goal is to ensure your experience is both comforting and enlightening. There’s no need to bring any form of payment to your appointment; all our services are offered at no cost. We welcome you to bring any questions you may have and maintain an open mindset. Our dedicated team is ready to assist you with comprehensive support and information, guiding you through your choices in a respectful and unbiased setting. We understand an unplanned pregnancy can be overwhelming, we’re here to help.
Proudly serving Newport News, Hampton, Williamsburg, York County, and Surrounding Areas
Do you ever wish that you could just hit the pause button on life and move on to a new chapter without any negative consequences? While life might be different from only a few moments ago, we women are stepping up in ways we never thought possible.
It’s everywhere, right? We see it on TV, in magazines, there are even apps for it like Tinder and CasualX. So it’s what everyone does right?
Question. So if we all say “Yes” to sex before marriage does all the guilt, disappointment, diseases, and pregnancies that come with it, disappear? Nope!
So how does sex make YOU feel? Used? Confused? Angry? Lonely?
There is nothing wrong with you! Yes, there may be times you actually enjoy it but does it last? Does he last (erm, not just in the moment but long term) MANY women feel like you, yet most are not honest, not even your friends.
A pep talk . . . As women, we want to feel cared for, loved, and accepted for us being us. Yet let’s be real, most guys just want sex. Not you, but “her”. There I said it.
Biology Lesson 101: Men are made to have a strong sex drive and yes, they think about it A LOT! But news flash – they don’t have to have sex with you because they want it, you have a choice.
You want a relationship, I know, yet sex happens. Phone calls stop, the conversation stops and before you know it, every time you are alone together, things go from zero to sex. Then the inevitable happens. You guys break up. Then you meet someone else and it happens all over again, he meets someone else and it happens all over again . . . see the pattern? Do you want to get off that hamster wheel?
You can.
Girls and Guys have conflicting goals. Ever heard that saying, “Men give love to get sex and women give sex to get love”? It’s true in most cases. Men come and go, but you are stuck with you. Who you are on the inside, your character, self-respect, hopes, and dreams; they all make you, YOU.
When you know who you are, then how you feel about yourself doesn’t depend on the guy you’re with. If you have had many partners, YOU CAN STILL START OVER!
That’s the Good News. Oh but wait, there’s more . . . YOUR FUTURE IS FROM THIS MOMENT FORWARD.
You CAN commit to saving yourself for that “special” someone, even marriage. How? I hear you ask, and who does that nowadays, isn’t that old fashioned? Nope. Just Say No to sex and say Yes to:
1. Recognizing that everyone in life makes mistakes, the mature person learns from those mistakes. You can change. Your heart can become whole again.
2. Freedom from unwanted pregnancies and STDs
3. Figure out what makes YOU feel good, things that make you proud.
4. Understand that only you control your body. You owe no guy anything because he took you out. You are worth taking out simply because of who you are on the inside and not what you have to offer. Don’t be surprised if he calls you again to ask you back out – Guys like women who respect themselves and have a voice. Do it, girl! I got your back!
Would you do something if you knew you had a 1 in 5 chance of dying? Well, 1 in every 5 women get pregnant using the pullout method and when you get those 2 lines on the pregnancy test, you may feel like your life is over!
I often speak with women who express sincere concern that they are in no way, shape, or form prepared to be a parent. Perhaps that describes you. Can I just say you’re probably right? Parenting is hard. I’ve been a parent for almost twenty-five years. I wish I could say it gets easier with time.
