There are some issues; one is a psychological problem. Women have had a major operation that has removed their ability or eliminated their capacity to bear children. It is a big issue, significant mental issue.
When you talk about a total abdominal hysterectomy with removal of the ovaries as well, the ovaries in women are the organ that offers approximately fifty percent of the hormones that women need to feel sexual. And so having a hysterectomy where the ovaries are removed or removing an important source of hormones.
The real point of this is that there are remedies for people who have had a hysterectomy and are noticing a decline in sexual response. And those solutions can be easily identified with individual testing, certain questionnaires, certain laboratory evaluations.
The other obvious concern is that some hysterectomies are done for major cancer issues. And then we talk about the whole psychological aspect of being a cancer survivor and their ability, a woman’s ability to be sexual as well. So there are both physical, emotional, and hormonal concerns that we have to look at when we address these issues.
Menopause affecting sexual dysfunction is basically what? What is occurring in menopause? We have a decline in female hormones, man in women need hormones for sexual response. And so really the defining aspect of menopause is having other medical menopause where because of age your ovaries are no longer producing some hormones that are necessary or surgical menopause through a total abdominal hysterectomy, where the ovaries are removed, and they are no longer the source of hormones. So that is a big issue as well.
It can also be a psychological issue, body image issues when a woman thinks “I’m no longer attracted to my partner.” Those are things that have to be addressed as well.
Read more detailed info on hysterectomy here – wikipedia.
Dr. Stephen Malik has been certified by the American Board of Urology and is licensed in the state of Alabama(USA)