Sexual Functioning Following Elective Hysterectomy: The Role of Surgical and Psychosocial Variables |
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| Authors: | Zoë D Peterson Jeffrey M Rothenberg Susan Bilbrey Julia R Heiman |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Psychology and Institute for Women and Gender Studies , University of Missouri–St. Louis petersonz@umsl.edu;3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Indiana University School of Medicine;4. The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction;5. Departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Psychiatry, Indiana University |
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| Abstract: | In this article, two studies were conducted to investigate the surgical and psychosocial correlates of women's post-hysterectomy sexual functioning. In Study 1, sexual functioning was measured in an online convenience sample of 65 women who had undergone elective hysterectomy. Results suggested that most women experienced improved sexual functioning after their hysterectomy. Women who underwent hysterectomy to treat endometriosis reported less improvement in sexual functioning as compared to women who had hysterectomies for other indications, and women who had abdominal hysterectomies reported less improvement in sexual functioning as compared to women who had vaginal hysterectomies. Sexual functioning post-hysterectomy was associated with psychosocial variables, particularly body esteem and relationship quality. In Study 2, sexual functioning was investigated at two time points three to five months apart in a sample of 14 women who reported developing sexual problems following their elective hysterectomies. Results suggested that, among women suffering from post-hysterectomy sexual dysfunction, sexual pain and difficulty with orgasm increased over time. |
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