The "madness" of unnecessary hysterectomy has to stop

[janterry]

As part of my research post-op, I learned much more about the hysterectomy industry than I ever cared to know. Approximately 10% of hysterectomies are done for a cancer diagnosis making most of the remaining 90% unnecessary. Despite the low lifetime risk of all gynecologic cancers (uterine/endometrial being highest at 2.9%), a U.S. woman’s lifetime risk of hysterectomy is 45%. Hysterectomy is commonly recommended for any and all menstrual irregularities and even benign ovarian cysts or masses. In other specialties, the diseased tissue is removed, not the entire organ.

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Many women report reduced libido and sexual sensation likely due to severing of nerves and blood vessels and possibly other mechanisms. Personality changes are also a common complaint. There are additional risks of having the uterus removed. These include certain cancers – rectal, thyroid, renal cell, and brain – as well as heart disease (#1 killer of women). Heart disease risk is 3-fold according to this study. This one went further and looked at risk by age at hysterectomy. It found that “Women who underwent hysterectomy at age ≤35 years had a 4.6-fold increased risk of congestive heart failure and a 2.5-fold increased risk of coronary artery disease.”

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The ovaries produce hormones a woman’s whole life if she is intact with testosterone levels increasing in the post-menopausal years. Ovary removal therefore causes a whole other set of problems including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, osteoporosis, hip fracture, dementia, memory and cognitive impairment, parkinsonism, sleep disorders, adverse ocular and skin changes, and mood disorders. Additionally, ovary removal before age 46 has been shown to accelerate aging by increasing risk of 18 chronic conditions. The Ovaries for Life organization has compiled numerous studies demonstrating the risks of unnecessary oophorectomy, which can be found on their website.

https://lowninstitute.org/guest-post-the-madness-of-unnecessary-hysterectomy-has-to-stop/