Induced Abortion and the Risk of Tubal Infertility

Objective: To explore the relationship between induced abortion and tubal infertility. Methods: Case control study (1∶2) was adopted. Infertile women with bilateral fallopian tube obstruction were selected in the case group, and two control groups were designed in this study: infertile women with bilateral tubal patency were enrolled in the infertile control group, while corresponding pregnant women in the pregnancy control group. Data were collected through face to face interviews with questionnaires, including demographic characteristics, histories of gynecology and obstetrics, operation, as well as contraception. And all data were analyzed using multivariate Logistic regression technique. Results: There was no evident correlation between induced abortion and tubal infertility, compared with the two control groups (the infertile control group: OR= 1.01, 95% CI 0.56 ~1.80; the pregnancy control group: OR =1.06, 95% CI 0.62 ~1.81). And the risk of tubal infertility increased with the following factors, acute PID, lower abdominal surgery, dysmenorrhea and pregnancy. Conclusions: Except for induced abortion, special attentions should be paid to the impact of long-term reproductive tract infection, especially the asymptomatic infections, in view of the current increasing trend of tubal infertility.