Megan Fox Opened Up About Her Experience With A Life-Threatening Pregnancy Condition
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Megan Fox is opening up about experiencing an ectopic pregnancy in the past. The 37-year-old actress, who has written a new book of poetry called Pretty Boys Are Poisonous, briefly touched on the subject while talking about a more recent miscarriage she experienced with her fiancé, Machine Gun Kelly, in an interview with WWD.
"That experience was so much harder than I would've anticipated it being, and I've really analyzed, 'Why was that? What was that so difficult for me?'” she said of her miscarriage. “Because when I was younger, I had an ectopic pregnancy, I've had other things that I'm not going to say because God forbid the world will be in an uproar. I've been through other similar issues, but not with someone who I was so in love with.”
Megan’s discussion of her intimate personal life and medical history has raised some questions about what, exactly, ectopic pregnancies are, how this life-threatening condition occurs, and how it can be treated.
Here’s everything you need to know about the pregnancy condition, which "is the most common cause of maternal mortality in the first trimester and a condition that women should know about," per UC Davis Health:
What is an ectopic pregnancy?
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). More than 90 percent of ectopic pregnancies occur when the egg begins to grow in the fallopian tube and, as the pregnancy continues, it can cause the tube to rupture, per the ACOG.
“An ectopic pregnancy is not a viable pregnancy,” says Christine Greves, MD, a board-certified ob/gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies. That means it can't result in a live birth.
What causes an ectopic pregnancy?
An ectopic pregnancy can happen to anyone who becomes pregnant, but there are certain risk factors that increase a person's odds of experiencing one, according to ACOG.
Those include:
Having a previous ectopic pregnancy
Prior fallopian tube surgery
Previous pelvic or abdominal surgery
Certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Endometriosis
Smoking cigarettes
Being older than 35
Having a history of infertility
What are the symptoms?
The Cleveland Clinic explains that symptoms can include:
Vaginal bleeding
Pain in the lower abdomen, pelvis, and lower back
Dizziness or weakness
If your fallopian tube ruptures, you may have additional symptoms like fainting, low blood pressure, shoulder pain, rectal pressure, or bowel issues, the Cleveland Clinic says.
How common are ectopic pregnancies?
Only about 2 percent of pregnancies are ectopic, according to JAMA. While it’s not incredibly common, it’s also not super rare.
How risky is an ectopic pregnancy?
An ectopic pregnancy can be life-threatening. If the fallopian tube bursts, it can cause internal bleeding and become a medical emergency that requires immediate surgery, ACOG says.
What is the treatment for an ectopic pregnancy?
The fertilized egg in an ectopic pregnancy can’t be moved to the uterus, so it always requires treatment, ACOG says. That might include taking medication like methotrexate to stop the cells from growing—ending the pregnancy—or surgery.
Dr. Greves stresses that an ectopic pregnancy will not lead to a baby. “There’s no saving an ectopic pregnancy,” she says. These pregnancies “are not growing in the uterus, which is the only spot where pregnancies are meant to grow,” she says.
If you suspect you’re experiencing an ectopic pregnancy, contact your doctor immediately. They can guide you on next steps.
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