What if I am Rh negative and had an abortion?

If I am Rh negative and had an abortion, do I need to have an injection with anti D globuline?

We advise you to get an Rh negative antiglobuline injection within 72 hours after bleeding starts when you use abortion pills if you are Rh negative and more than 12 weeks pregnant.

If you have Rh negative blood type and the fetus has a positive bloodtype, and if there is an exchange in blood, then your body can make antibodies in your blood that can affect the baby.

To prevent this concern, when women with Rh negative blood type have a surgical abortion, miscarriage, or delivery, doctors usually advise them to have an injection with anti D globuline.

However, research with early medical abortion and first trimester (first 12 weeks) spontaneous abortions have shown that no exchange, or very little exchange, in blood between the woman and the fetus takes place and that a woman does not make the number of antibodies necessary to affect the fetus.[1]

Is my blood type Rh negative?

If you do not know if your blood type is Rh negative, you can get a test at Walmart for under $10 USD.

^{[1] Hannafin B, Lovecchio F, Do Rh-negative women with first trimester spontaneous abortions need Rh immune globulin? Am J Emerg Med. 2006 Jul;24(4):487-9.}