Which factor is NOT a risk factor for ectopic pregnancy in adolescents?

Which factor is NOT a risk factor for ectopic pregnancy in adolescents?

• A. Habit of smoking
• B. Irregular menses
• C. Damage to the fallopian tubes
• D. History of pelvic inflammatory disease

Answer: (B)

Ectopic pregnancy risk rises when the pathways that carry the embryo to the uterus are damaged or impaired. Factors that affect tubal function or cause scarring—like smoking, which can harm the tubal cilia and reduce transport, and damage to the fallopian tubes from prior infections such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or other tubal injuries—increase the chance that implantation occurs outside the uterus. A history of PID directly signals tubal scarring and elevated risk. Irregular menses, on the other hand, reflect ovulatory or hormonal patterns rather than tubal pathology, and do not by themselves predispose to ectopic implantation. So irregular menses does not increase the risk, making it the correct choice.

Ectopic pregnancy risk rises when the pathways that carry the embryo to the uterus are damaged or impaired. Factors that affect tubal function or cause scarring—like smoking, which can harm the tubal cilia and reduce transport, and damage to the fallopian tubes from prior infections such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or other tubal injuries—increase the chance that implantation occurs outside the uterus. A history of PID directly signals tubal scarring and elevated risk. Irregular menses, on the other hand, reflect ovulatory or hormonal patterns rather than tubal pathology, and do not by themselves predispose to ectopic implantation. So irregular menses does not increase the risk, making it the correct choice.