Role of induced abortion in secondary infertility

The medical histories of 105 patients with secondary infertility were studied to determine whether or not induced abortion contributes to the occurrence of secondary infertility. One hundred ninety-nine control cases were matched to these cases according to age, number of previous pregnancies, race, marital status, and socioeconomic status. It was found that women with a history of prior induced abortion did have a sligtly higher risk (risk ratio = 1.31) of secondary infertility, but that the 95% confidence interval (0.71 to 2.43) was consistent with no association at all. When the analysis was restricted to women without ovulatory problems the risk was of similar magnitude. Prior spontaneous abortion was also found to be unrelated to secondary infertility in this series of women.