According to Circle Health Group, there are around 55,000 hysterectomies carried out in the UK every year meaning that one in five people with a womb will have a hysterectomy at some point. A hysterectomy is an operation to remove the uterus but it can also involve the removal of fallopian tubes, ovaries, or cervix.
A hysterectomy is often suggested to patients experiencing heavy, painful, or frequent periods, fibroids (non-cancerous growths in the womb), prolapsed womb and cancer of the vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes or ovaries.
It’s a major surgery that takes a good while to recover from and if you have your ovaries removed as well as your womb, and haven’t yet gone through menopause, you’ll experience surgical menopause after your operation. Even if you keep one or both of your ovaries, you could go into menopause.
Sex after a hysterectomy – what to expect
If you have a hysterectomy to combat the pain experienced during sexual intercourse with conditions like endometriosis, fibroids, etc, you might actually have more fun than ever in the bedroom. While a hysterectomy can impact your sex drive, according to Flo Health, the combination of no longer experiencing pain during sex and resolving a serious medical issue, often increases the sex drive.
However, for some people it’s not that simple. Some people experience depression and low mood following surgery, or as a result of the pain during recovery which all contribute to a lower sex drive.
Flo Health adds that while you might want to get back to getting busy, you need to try to take your time and not get frustrated with yourself. They said, ”It’s important to remember that you need time to heal and process what’s happened. You may benefit from personal therapy or group sessions with other hysterectomy patients.
“Effective treatment has the power to improve your sex drive by restoring your general health, well-being, and energy levels.”
How to get your sex drive back following a hysterectomy
Once you’re healed and physically ready to have sex again, you might be looking to increase your libido if it’s not quite where you’d like it to be. The NHS recommends that for people going through menopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) should get you back on track. However, your doctor may also prescribe antidepressants, cognitive behavioural therapy or even changing the current medications that you’re on.