sex and hysterectomy

[Guest guest]

There is no more personal a subject than our own individual responses during

sex which may be why I was unable to get a clear answer from anyone about

post-hysterectomy sexual changes.

When this was a possibility for me, I asked every woman I knew who had had a

hysterectomy and few were very forthcoming, as you might imagine. Most said

they suffered no change or little change or " maybe a little. " When pressed,

one friend admitted that she had never had an orgasm before her

hysterectomy, but after changed husbands and has since had a better sex

life, but then she had nothing to compare to beforehand.

I wrote a novel about a sex therapist (!!) and so did a lot of research in

this subject years ago. The seminal (pun intended) work of Masters and

clear defines female orgasm as having uterine contractions as a

major part of the orgasmic process and the other parts as just the early

phases of the larger orgasm. Certainly, as a woman who breastfed babies for

many years, I know the feeling of uterine contractions connected with nipple

stimulation, as well as those connected with postpartum when the uterus

contracts after having a baby. So, I can isolated that feeling during sex

and for me, at least, it is a hugely important part of the sexual experience

that radiates the orgasmic feel from " toes to nose. " When I mention this to

women (even women gynecologists), they look at me blankly making me feel

like I am odd or making it up. But this is only what sex researchers

support. Further, other sex therapists are working in conjunction with

surgeons to develop nerve sparing hysterectomies so that all the major

nerves to the pelvic region will not be severed during this surgery.

Still, so many women say their sex life is the same or better after a

hysterectomy. Surely it is better if their is no pain, discomfort, bleeding

etc., but is it really better in terms of personal sexual satisfaction?

Yes, there are many factors in sex that are more important than ones own

orgasm and according to Dear Abby a vast percentage of American women would

give up sex entirely for being cuddled.

I am not asking women here who have hysterectomies to give details if they

don't want to, but I think this is still a very complex and misunderstood

area.

v

Gay Courter

gay@...