Sex After Hysterectomy

Although some women have no trouble getting back to their old sexual activities, there are others who find it a challenge to resume a pleasurable and healthy sex after hysterectomy. This can lead to relationships and marriages fading.

However, this shouldn't have to be the case. A hysterectomy does not mark the end of your sex life, especially if you consider the following:

The Physical Aspect

The removal of a woman's ovaries during hysterectomy can disrupt a woman's hormones. This can affect sex after hysterectomy, as it can diminish the desire for sex as well as the act itself. It can cause frustration and pain, and this is the case especially when the woman has sex a few months into the recovery and if she decides not to use hormone pills or hormonal cream.

The Emotional Aspect

A woman's psyche and emotions are greatly affected by her sexual experience. Undergoing a hysterectomy can make a woman feel inadequate or incomplete, depressed for not being able to bear children, unconfident, and also feel pain during the experience. All of this has an impact on sex after hysterectomy. In turn, this can cause a lost desire for sex and a boring and unsatisfying sexual intercourse.

The Solutions

The hysterectomy surgeon is the best person to recommend a physical or medical treatment to get over the physical aspects of a hysterectomy. Hormone replacement can come in topical, oral, or injectible form. This can help alleviate menopausal symptoms such as vaginal dryness, depressive symptoms, and hot flashes. However, it is really the emotional aspects of the surgery that can ruin the sexual experience.

Probably the best solution is to regain the intimacy that a woman and her partner had. It is a wrong notion that sexual pleasure comes from cervical stimulation because it really comes from clitoral stimulation. It is also more important to take care of the relationship, as this will help the most when trying to regain a healthy and enjoyable sex after hysterectomy. The partner should show support during the woman's recovery period or whenever needed and should understand if there is disinterest in having sex. The partner should also be confident yet still intimate without worrying or obsessing over orgasms. It would help to just relax and enjoy the intimacy.

One thing to keep in mind about sex after hysterectomy, though, is that deep penetration can cause irritation in the vaginal tissue. The couple should then take things slow during the first few times. This and the dryness can be remedied by taking over-the-counter vaginal estrogen and/or vaginal lubricants as prescribed by the doctor. The couple can experiment with penetration angles, penetration depth, and sexual aids to find a way to reduce the pain. After all, no amount of intimacy can make the sexual experience pleasurable if there is pain.