Menopause hysterectomy and sex drive

Your sex life and sex drive are among the topics left undiscussed before surgery. If you are about to be one of them, a frank discussion with your gynecologist is an essential first step. Hysterectomy may be a real medical necessity, not simply another option, if you have invasive cancer of the reproductive organs — the uterus, cervix, vagina , fallopian tubes, or ovaries. A partial hysterectomy is surgical removal of the uterus alone, and a myomectomy is removal of only fibroids.

This article was medically reviewed by Carolyn Swenson, MD, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology and member of the Prevention Medical Review Board , on June 18, Nearly , women get hysterectomies each year in the U. Several factors go into how long the recovery process will be for you, including what type of hysterectomy you had and how your body responds to surgery. You should see some improvement every day, but it can still take up to eight weeks to completely heal and feel better, says Dr. A variety of health conditions are treated through hysterectomy, such as uterine fibroids the most common reason for the procedure , pelvic organ prolapse, endometriosis or adenomyosis, heavy vaginal bleeding , chronic pelvic pain, and gynecologic cancers such as ovarian cancer or endometrial cancer , according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ACOG. There are different types of hysterectomy, including:. In some cases, the ovaries may be removed.

As someone who has always had a healthy sexual appetite, I know that I feared this symptom greatly. After all, I figured, if one has a hot flash, one can strip down to a t-shirt. But until someone invents the female equivalent of Viagra and right here is why more women need to go into the STEM fields, girls! Imagine my surprise, then, when I experienced — among the other symptoms of perimenopause — my sex drive actually increasing , not decreasing.

Back to Sexual health. How a hysterectomy might affect your sex life, how long you should wait before having sex again and how to cope with issues such as vaginal dryness. It takes time to get back to normal after an operation , but having a hysterectomy can have a strong emotional impact too, which can affect how you feel about sex. If you experience problems with sex after your operation, there is help available.