What could be the causes for ectopic pregnancy?

Answer 1

The prominent causes of ectopic pregnancy include:
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease – A past instance of PID would have caused the scarring of the tissues, leading to blockage of fetus travelling down the uterus.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases – Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are two STDs which bring with them a high risk of infertility and ectopic pregnancy. If one has a history of same, she should be in constant interaction with the gynaec to get screened for any variations is the symptoms of normal pregnancy.

Endometriosis – The condition characterized by growth of endometrium at places other than uterus, like ovaries, abdominal cavity etc. There could be two reasons in this context. One, abnormal growth of tissue hindering the movement of fetus; second, half-treated endometriosis in the past which would have led to scarring of the tissues.

A history of ectopic pregnancy – If a woman had an ectopic pregnancy in her first pregnancy; chances are that she might develop the same for second one too. But, the rarity of this varies.

Use of IUDs – If a woman is using Intrauterine Devices, she is at a high risk of developing EP

Infertility treatments – These usually involve placing the sperm (in case of IUI) or the embryo (in case of IVF) into the fallopian tube, which later move into the uterus and get implanted. But this however is not the case in EP, as the embryo stays there and gets implanted.

Apart from these, the other reasons could be age (above 30 years), smoking etc

Answer 2

Traumatizing as it is, understanding the underlying causes of ectopic pregnancy is crucial. Often, people just associate the problem as a matter of chance, which is not really true. There are a number of medical reasons behind it along with lifestyle and habits. Here are the common causes of ectopic pregnancy-

PID - Also referred to as pelvic inflammatory disease, this is a diseased associated with the inflammation of the female reproductive system. It starts as a sexually transmitted disease, but increases ectopic pregnancy risks.

Past ectopic pregnancy - A previous ectopic pregnancy automatically puts you at a risk of having a next one. Though chances are about 10%, there is still some risk involved.

Surgery in the past- If you had a surgery on your fallopian tubes like unsuccessful female sterilization procedure, you may have a higher chance of ectopic pregnancy.

IVF- Women who had been taking IVF medications for stimulating release of the egg are at a higher chance of getting ectopic pregnancy.

Contraception modes- If you had opted for intrauterine device (IUD) or intrauterine system (IUS) for contraception – chances of getting pregnant are minimal. But in some cases, pregnancy may take place in the ectopic way. Even contraceptive pills are known to increase this risk.

Lifestyle habits- It has been seen that getting pregnant post 35-40 years does increase risks of ectopic pregnancy. Along with this, smoking, unhealthy eating, etc. contribute towards the same.

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) - In the 70’s a synthetic estrogen was given to women for reducing miscarriage. DES could be passed on from your mother’s generation to you. However, in such cases, detection is possible at an earlier stage and scans reveal the impact of DES immediately.