In a normal pregnancy, a woman's egg is fertilized in one of the Fallopian tubes and travels down the tube in order to eventually reach the uterus; this organ has all the necessary accommodations to support a growing baby. If the tube is damaged or blocked, the egg may fail to reach the uterus, implant itself in the tube and start growing. This is an ectopic pregnancy; more specifically, an ectopic pregnancy occurs whenever a fertilized egg implants itself anywhere outside the uterus ; usually, ectopic pregnancies occur in the Fallopian tubes (and they are called "tubal" pregnancies), but fertilized eggs have been found to attach in one of the ovaries, the cervix, or another organ within the pelvis.

Studies show that 1 in every 200 pregnancies results in an ectopic pregnancy; once a woman experiences an ectopic pregnancy, she has a 10-15% chance of having another one if she tries to conceive again. Thirty percent of women who have had an ectopic pregnancy will have difficulty conceiving again.

At first, early ectopic pregnancy symptoms will be similar to a normal pregnancy. The most common early ectopic pregnancy symptoms that then develop are vaginal bleeding, lower abdominal pain, and fainting; long-lasting throbbing on one side of the abdomen and/or sudden pain are also associated with ectopic pregnancies. Shoulder pain, particularly when lying down, is a very indicative sign of an ectopic pregnancy.

Another of the early ectopic pregnancy symptoms can be discovered when a doctor performs a pelvic examination; in the case of an ectopic pregnancy, the uterus will be found to be smaller than expected. Furthermore, the doctor may distinguish a tender swelling corresponding to the ectopic pregnancy. If a Fallopian tube ruptures, a woman may go into shock, in which a weak, racing pulse, pale, clammy skin, and dizziness or fainting is common.

Early ectopic pregnancy symptoms are usually seen around the sixth or seventh week of pregnancy, though in some cases symptoms have been noticed around the fourth week. There are times, however, when no symptoms seem to occur and the ectopic pregnancy is discovered during a routine ultrasound in the third trimester.

There are a number of risk factors associated with the development of early ectopic pregnancy symptoms, though this is not the case with all women. Any previous surgery or inflammation of the fallopian tubes can put a woman at risk for the development of an ectopic pregnancy. Indeed, the lining of the Fallopian tube is very delicate, so inflammation or trauma can easily cause damage; the cilia that are responsible for propelling the egg downwards into the uterus may beat abnormally and cause the egg to implant in the wrong place. If a woman becomes pregnant while using a contraceptive coil or the progestogen-only contraceptive pill, she has an increased risk of developing an ectopic pregnancy, as well as if she becomes pregnant using in-vitro fertilization.

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