OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the role of prior history of induced abortion in subsequent ectopic pregnancies. METHODS: Data from two French case-control studies were used to examine the effect of induced abortion on ectopic pregnancy risk. Case patients (n = 570) were women admitted for ectopic pregnancy during the study period; controls (n = 1385) were women who delivered in the same center. RESULTS: The analysis among women with no previous ectopic pregnancy showed that, after control for the main ectopic pregnancy risk factors, prior induced abortion was associated with an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy (odds ratio [OR] = 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0, 2.0); there was a significant trend between number of previous induced abortions and ectopic pregnancy risk (ORs = 1.4 for 1 previous induced abortion and 1.9 for 2 or more). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that induced abortion may be a risk factor for ectopic pregnancy for women with no previous ectopic pregnancy, particularly in the case of women who have had several induced abortions.

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