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Ectopic Pregnancy - Cause
Fallopian tube damage is a common cause
of
ectopic pregnancy. A fertilized egg can become caught
in the damaged area of a tube and begin to grow there. Some ectopic pregnancies
develop without any known cause. See a picture of
locations where an ectopic pregnancy can develop
.
Common causes of fallopian tube damage that may lead to an ectopic pregnancy include:
- Smoking. Women who smoke or who used to smoke have higher rates of ectopic pregnancy. The more you smoke, the higher your risk.1 Smoking is thought to damage the fallopian tubes' ability to move the fertilized egg toward the uterus.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), such as from a chlamydia or gonorrhea infection. PID can create scar tissue in the fallopian tubes.
- Fallopian tube surgery, often used to reverse a tubal ligation or to repair a scarred or blocked tube.
- A previous ectopic pregnancy in a fallopian tube.
Although pregnancy is rare after a tubal ligation or with an intrauterine device (IUD), those pregnancies that do develop have an increased chance of being ectopic.2
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
Ectopic Pregnancy Topics
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