Is Ectopic Pregnancies Common?

While a pregnancy test may reveal a woman is pregnant, a fertilized egg can't properly grow anywhere other than the uterus. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), ectopic pregnancies occur in about 1 out of every 50 pregnancies (20 out of 1,000).

Are ectopic pregnancies rare?

Left untreated, a growing ectopic pregnancy can cause life-threatening internal bleeding, and could eventually rupture the fallopian tube it's housed in. The good news is that ectopic pregnancies are relatively uncommon, occurring in just about 1 to 2 percent of pregnancies in the United States.

Are ectopic pregnancies normal?

A third of women with an ectopic pregnancy have a healthy pregnancy down the line. About 1 in every 50 pregnancies in the U.S. is an ectopic pregnancy. Between 6% to 16% of pregnant women who go to an emergency department in the first trimester for bleeding, pain, or both have an ectopic pregnancy.