How soon after a miscarriage can you have sex?

Dear Reader,

Assuming that you're asking how long a woman needs to wait after a miscarriage before resuming sexual activity, typically, the longer the pregnancy, the longer the waiting period before inserting anything into a vagina, including a penis, finger, tampon, or sex toy.

Women's experiences of miscarriage differ. For some, a miscarriage may occur within the first three to four months of pregnancy. If there are no complications — such as heavy bleeding, pelvic pain, vaginal odor, fever, or even continued pregnancy symptoms — sexual activity can resume two to three weeks afterwards. For others, a miscarriage may take place in the last five months of pregnancy. If this is the case, a woman needs to wait at least six weeks. Regardless of when the miscarriage occurs, women are advised to have a gynecological exam before having sexual intercourse again. The reason is that after a miscarriage, a woman is more susceptible to infection because the uterus and cervix remain partially dilated. If a woman is exposed to bacteria before the healing process is complete, the fallopian tubes, ovaries, uterus, cervix, and vagina could potentially become infected. It's also possible that bleeding can reoccur.

If you've already had intercourse, and did not visit your gynecologist before doing so, it's suggested to have a check-up as soon as possible to ensure that you're healthy and not experiencing any complications.

For more information, check out Miscarriage?, After miscarriage... Need to see a doc?, and Feelings after miscarriage in Alice's Sexual Health archive.