Health Topic

Ectopic Pregnancy

In an ectopic, or tubal, pregnancy, a fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus. It can be dangerous for the mother. Know the symptoms to watch for.

Reviewed Reviewed by a registered pharmacistGeneral information

Also called: Abdominal pregnancy · Tubal pregnancy

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Ectopic Pregnancy

The uterus, or womb, is the place where a fetus grows during pregnancy. In an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg grows in the wrong place outside the uterus. It usually occurs in the fallopian tubes. These tubes carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus. Sometimes, an ectopic pregnancy can occur in the ovaries, abdominal cavity, or the lower part of the uterus (cervix).

Ectopic pregnancies can't end in a healthy pregnancy because the egg cannot grow. If the pregnancy continues, the fallopian tube can burst. This can cause internal bleeding, which can be a life-threatening emergency that needs immediate surgery.

An ectopic pregnancy often happens because there is a problem with your fallopian tubes. But sometimes it's not clear why an ectopic pregnancy happens.

Factors that may increase your risk for an ectopic pregnancy can include:

  • Previous ectopic pregnancy
  • Prior pelvic, abdominal, or fallopian tube surgery
  • Certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
  • Pelvic inflammatory disease
  • Endometriosis
  • Becoming pregnant while using an intrauterine device (IUD) for birth control
  • Becoming pregnant after a tubal ligation

Other factors that may increase your risk can include:

  • Smoking
  • Being older than age 35
  • Infertility treatments

You may not notice any symptoms at first. Or you may have some of the usual signs of pregnancy such as a missed period, breast tenderness, or nausea.

Early signs of an ectopic pregnancy may be light vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain. Ectopic pregnancy can be a medical emergency. Get medical care right away if you have these signs:

  • Abdominal (belly) pain
  • Shoulder pain
  • Vaginal bleeding
  • Feeling dizzy or faint

An ectopic pregnancy can't be diagnosed without blood tests and an ultrasound. Your health care provider will do a pregnancy test to confirm that you're pregnant. They may do a pelvic exam to check for areas of pain, tenderness, or a mass.

An ectopic pregnancy needs treatment to stop any damage to your organs. Your provider will use medicine or surgery to take out the ectopic tissue.

Losing a pregnancy can be devastating. An ectopic pregnancy is like a miscarriage, but it must be treated to prevent problems. People cope with grief in different ways. It may be helpful to discuss your feelings with your provider or a counselor. Many women who have had ectopic pregnancies go on to have healthy pregnancies later.

Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health

It sits within Women, Pregnancy and Reproduction and Female Reproductive System.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Ectopic Pregnancy

116 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

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Diagnosis and Tests

Treatments and Therapies

Related Issues

Clinical Trials

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Pregnancy, Ectopic. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Ectopic Pregnancy, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.