What Causes a Retroverted Uterus?
In the vast majority of women with retroverted uteruses, causes are completely genetic. Many women are simply born with a uterus that is tipped in this position, and this is entirely normal. However, certain factors can cause a uterus that is in a normal placement to become retroverted. These causes include:
Pregnancy: During pregnancy, the uterus becomes enlarged and the ligaments that hold the uterus in place become weakened. As a result, many women find that their uterus becomes retroverted after they have delivered their babies.
Menopause: During menopause, estrogen levels drop rapidly in women. As with pregnancy, this can cause the ligaments that hold the uterus in place to weaken, allowing it to slip into a retroverted position.
Reproductive Health Problems: Certain reproductive health issues, including pelvic inflammatory disease and endometriosis can cause the uterus to tilt backwards. This is because these illnesses can lead to scar tissue formation on the inside of the abdomen, forcing the uterus out of position.
What are the Symptoms of a Retroverted Uterus?
Generally, the majority of women suffering from a retroverted uterus experience no symptoms. However, if symptoms do present, the two most commonly-occurring symptoms include:
- pain during sexual intercourse, particularly vaginal intercourse (dyspareunia)
- pain during menstruation (dysmenorrhea)
This pain and discomfort is the result of pressure that the retroverted uterus places on the rectum and the ligaments around the tailbone.
Rare symptoms associated with a retroverted uterus include:
- lower back pain
- increased number of urinary tract infections
- incontinence
- pain while using tampons
- fertility difficulties
- Diagnosing a Retroverted Uterus
If you are experiencing symptoms of a retroverted uterus, you may want to make an appointment with your health care provider for an examination. By performing a few simple tests, your health care provider can easily diagnose the condition. Diagnosis usually consists of:
- a pelvic exam
- an abdominal ultrasound
Occasionally, it is difficult to differentiate a retroverted uterus from a pelvic tumor. In this case, your health care provider may have to perform a rectovaginal exam.
Are There Any Health Complications Associated with a Retroverted Uterus?
Few women with retroverted uteruses experience health complications as a result of their condition. However, sometimes a retroverted uterus can be a warning sign of another underlying reproductive issue, including pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis. Be sure to contact your health care provider if you are experiencing:
- severe abdominal or pelvic pain
- irregular menstrual periods
- irregular ovulation or infertility
If left untreated, these conditions can have dangerous effects on your reproductive organs and overall health.
Will A Retroverted Uterus Affect Fertility?
Many women who have a retroverted uterus worry that it will affect their future fertility. However, this condition does not appear to affect conception in any way, and most women with retroverted uteruses will go on to experience healthy pregnancies. If you are experiencing difficultiesgetting pregnant, it could be a sign of an underlying reproductive problem. Be sure to contact your health care provider for assistance.
Treatment for A Retroverted Uterus
If your retroverted uterus is causing you a lot of pain or discomfort, you may want to consider treatment for the condition. Treatment options include:
Exercises: Women can perform knee-to-chest exercise in order to encourage the uterus to slip back into its proper place. Unfortunately, this tends to be a temporary solution for the problem.
Pessaries: A pessary is a plastic device that is worn inside of the vagina. It helps to support the uterus in the proper position. However, these devices can only be worn in the short term because of the risk for developing a vaginal infection.
Surgery: Surgery for a retroverted uterus is available. Known as the UPLIFT procedure, this procedure works to reposition the uterus by cutting and shortening the ligaments that support it. UPLIFT is alaparoscopic surgery that is performed with the aid of a small camera.
Can a tipped uterus prevent pregnancy?
Typically a tipped uterus is only thought to be the cause of infertility after all other possible reasons for fertility problems have been ruled out. Your doctor might recommend a uterine suspension or UPLIFT procedure if there is no other explanation for your fertility problems. However, this is not common.
How can a tipped uterus affect my pregnancy?
Usually between the 10th -12th week of pregnancy, your uterus will no longer be tipped or "backwards." This should cause no difficulty for the pregnancy or for labor and birth. If the uterus does not move into a "middle" position, miscarriage can occur, but this is very rare.
Will it affect my pregnancy?
A retroverted or tipped uterus is just another normal variation in the position of a woman's uterus. About 20% of women have a uterus that is naturally retroverted. That is, leaning backwards towards the spine, rather than forwards to rest above the bladder (called anteverted). You may have been told you have a retroverted uterus by a caregiver during an internal examination, or after having a pap test. The uterus is a mobile organ suspended by ligaments and can move from being at the front to the back or visa versa.
Image shows the uterus in an anteverted position.
Image shows the uterus in a retroverted position.
Occasionally a retroverted uterus may be caused because it is held down in this position by scar tissue after an infection or because of endometriosis. This may cause a woman to have pain with sex or more painful periods and sometimes fertility problems. These conditions need to be investigated by a gynaecologist.
Will it affect my pregnancy?
A retroverted uterus generally does not affect a woman's pregnancy. After about 12 weeks of pregnancy the uterus grows with the unborn baby, up and out of the pelvis like any other pregnancy. From this point on it sits in exactly the same position as a uterus that started off being anteverted (leaning forward).
In extremely rare cases, it has been known for the growing uterus to be inhibited from growing out of the woman's pelvis by her normally protruding lower spine (or sacrum). The medical term for this is an incarcerated uterus. If this happens, the woman may start complaining of some pain and being unable to pass urine, usually at about 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy. The caregiver may recommend being admitted to hospital and having a catheter passed into the bladder (to allow the urine to escape), as well as doing some pelvic rocking on your hands and knees to help release the uterus from the pelvis. These treatments are usually effective within hours or perhaps a few days.
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