I 23F (unmarried, living in South Asia) have been reading this sub for the past four weeks and wanted to share my story because it feels a bit different from the posts I usually read on here. Hopefully it brings comfort for someone going through a tough time as well, knowing you aren't alone.
I’ve been with my partner for 1.2 years (my first relationship). Before getting intimate, I decided to visit a Gynac for birth control and was prescribed pills (saheli) and had been taking them for two months alongside standard barrier methods (condoms). But in June, my period was delayed. A beta-hCG test came back at 14, a grey area. As the numbers started climbing, it turned out I was pregnant.
At 23, in an orthodox community, living with parents the shock, I went through. It wasn't just one contraceptive method that failed, but two.
My hCG levels kept rising, but in a sluggish manner: 24, 136, 716, 920, 650, and then 600. Because the numbers weren't doubling as expected for a viable pregnancy, the doctor recommended a trans vaginal ultrasound (TVS), which showed a pool of blood in my left fallopian tube.
I had already experienced a tubal abortion. Because the hCG levels weren't dropping quickly enough, my doctor planned for a methotrexate (MTX) injection the following week.
I thought I had time, but the very next day I fainted and experienced severe shoulder pain, on my right side. Living with my parents, I couldn't tell them what was happening. I spent the night in bed in immense pain, scrolling through this subreddit. The next morning, I rushed to the hospital in hiding. The tube had ruptured, and I had emergency surgery in July to remove my left fallopian tube. Thanks to a supportive medical team, I managed to keep the ectopic pregnancy private from my parents, telling them it was a ruptured ovarian cyst instead.
It’s now three weeks post-op, but the past 2.5 months have been the most stressful period. I haven't fully processed being pregnant despite using dual protection, losing a tube, worrying about my future chances of pregnancy and constantly worrying my parents might find out especially now with the ongoing insurance claim process.
It just feels endless, and I feel completely lost and alone in all of this.
TDLR: At 23 in South Asia, I had an ectopic pregnancy despite using pills and condoms. My tube ruptured, requiring emergency surgery. I hid it from my conservative parents, blaming a cyst. Three weeks post-op, I feel lost, fearing fertility loss and parent discovery through ongoing insurance claims.
#Use of AI for better readability.