A woman’s life goes through various changes at different times in her life. Menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, PMS are few changes she has acclimatized herself with while she embarks on a life long emotional roller coaster ride. Although the woman accepts it all, these are topics that have been written and spoken about exhaustively. The issue which we are addressing today is whether Hysterectomy improves a woman’s sex life or not?

Hysterectomy is performed when conditions like benign uterine fibroids are present or if the woman does not wish to have any children. During this procedure sometimes the ovaries are removed. Dr. Pooram is practicing in Pune’s Jehangir Hospital and we asked her about this. She said, “Only if a woman’s ovaries are removed does she develop a major change”. Once her ovaries are removed the threat of getting pregnant no longer looms over her. This is more psychological and has nothing to do with the physiological changes that are expected after a surgery.

Dr. Telang states, “The fact that a woman’s sex life improves or diminishes after she has undergone is not correct. She does not go through any changes physiologically. However the mental changes are present, as would be in any patient”. She goes on to explain that a woman perceives in her mind that she can have sex anywhere at any time and you would not get pregnant. But these situations are only present when the ovaries are removed.

The other factor is when the ovaries are not removed. Does sex life diminish because she can get pregnant? There is no logical or scientific explanation to this and the phrase “Women are difficult to understand”, is very apt here. A hysterectomy is performed when there is a tumor or a fibrous growth, all this is painful, involves cramps and excessive bleeding. These condition would obviously slacken sex drive from a woman who is in agony, or is pre occupied with her condition. After hysterectomy all these factors no longer exist she is more receptive and eager to engage in sex, thus leading to a more active sex life.

There are plenty of theories that refute as well as support the matter. However the one thing which has been determined is that all these changes in a woman’s psyche are mental. Whether she wants to have sex or she doesn’t is totally up to her mental state and we should be supportive towards whatever her decision is.