How long does it take for an ectopic pregnancy to bleed?

Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
Updated on March 04, 2025
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Ectopic pregnancy test strips indicate that the gestational sac is implanted outside the uterine cavity, with the most common type being a tubal pregnancy. The bleeding caused by a tubal pregnancy includes two types: vaginal bleeding and intra-abdominal bleeding.

Firstly, the vaginal bleeding caused by an ectopic pregnancy mainly occurs because the gestational sac lacks a normal developmental environment, with relatively low levels of estrogen and progesterone. This leads to insufficient endometrial proliferation, resulting in regressive bleeding. Typically, vaginal bleeding appears around the fifth week of an ectopic pregnancy, but the amount of bleeding is generally small.

Secondly, if the gestational sac in an ectopic pregnancy is relatively large, it can cause the local rupture of the fallopian tube, leading to intra-abdominal bleeding. This usually occurs around the seventh to eighth week of pregnancy. If the gestational sac is too small, even if there is mild abdominal pain, it will not cause intra-abdominal bleeding.

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Written by Zhang Xiu Rong
Obstetrics and Gynecology
1min 3sec home-news-image

Ectopic pregnancy medical conservative treatment

Under normal circumstances, the treatment of ectopic pregnancy is generally divided into conservative treatment and surgical treatment. Conservative treatment is usually applied when the ectopic pregnancy has not ruptured, using medication for about a week. After one week, a follow-up examination is done to check blood HCG levels and an ultrasound scan. If blood HCG levels have dropped significantly, the ultrasound shows that the mass has not grown, and the symptoms of abdominal pain have decreased, it indicates that the conservative treatment was successful. The threat is only considered resolved when blood HCG returns to normal levels. Otherwise, the conservative treatment for ectopic pregnancy may fail, and surgery will be necessary to treat the ectopic pregnancy symptomatically. If there is a particularly large amount of bleeding or a rupture has occurred, surgical treatment is the only option.

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Written by Tang Mei Xiang
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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How is an ectopic pregnancy caused?

Ectopic pregnancy refers to the implantation of a fertilized egg outside the uterine cavity. A pregnancy located outside the uterine cavity is commonly known as an ectopic pregnancy. The most common type of ectopic pregnancy is a tubal pregnancy, though less common types include abdominal, ovarian, and cervical pregnancies. How does an ectopic pregnancy occur? Inflammation is the most common cause, as it can lead to adhesions in the fallopian tubes or pelvic area, causing abnormal transport in the fallopian tubes. Additionally, ectopic pregnancies can result from scarring after surgeries, such as pregnancies in cesarean section scars, and from anomalies of the uterus, like pregnancies in a remaining part of the uterus.

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Written by Liu Wei Jie
Obstetrics
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Does an ectopic pregnancy hurt?

Ectopic pregnancy is an abnormal pregnancy experience. It is defined as the implantation and development of pregnancy tissue outside of the uterus, often leading to rupture and bleeding. Thus, over 95% of ectopic pregnancies result in pain. The majority of ectopic pregnancies occur in the fallopian tubes, where the pregnancy tissue develops and the tube may rupture. However, some individuals may not be sensitive to pain, and if the ectopic pregnancy occurs at the fimbrial end of the fallopian tube, they might not experience pain, though they may still feel discomfort in the lower abdomen. Diagnosis of an ectopic pregnancy requires a combination of ultrasound, progesterone, HCG levels, and the presence or absence of abdominal pain or bleeding.

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Written by Liu Qin
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Causes of ectopic pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy refers to the implantation of a fertilized egg outside the uterine cavity, among which tubal pregnancy is the most common type, accounting for about 95% of ectopic pregnancies. There are many causes of ectopic pregnancy, with the main cause being inflammation of the fallopian tubes. The inflammation can cause the mucous membrane of the fallopian tube to become sticky, narrowing the lumen of the tube, or impairing the function of the cilia inside the tube, leading to obstruction of the fertilized egg's movement within the tube and resulting in implantation at that location. Other causes include surgery on the fallopian tubes, poor development or abnormal function of the fallopian tubes, further development of assisted reproductive technologies, and the use of emergency contraceptive pills, also known as contraceptive failure, among others. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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How many days can an ectopic pregnancy be detected?

Generally around six weeks after a missed period, an ectopic pregnancy can be detected through an ultrasound examination. For women with regular menstrual cycles, if menstruation is delayed by a week and a pregnancy test shows a positive result, it indicates pregnancy. At this time, it is necessary to visit the hospital for an ultrasound to ascertain the implantation site of the gestational sac. In the case of an ectopic pregnancy, it is normal that no gestational sac is visible within the uterine cavity during an ultrasound. The ultrasound might reveal irregular echo areas in the adnexal area, which includes the fallopian tubes or ovaries, possibly indicating thickened fallopian tubes or enlarged ovaries. At this point, one should be vigilant about the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy and seek timely treatment.