Hysterectomy rates have declined in developed economies over the past 30 years. But in India, Africa, and South America, they have increased. This raises the question of whether forms of gender, race, class, and caste discrimination are still influencing decisions about this surgery, as they have throughout history.
Even in the United States, where it is one of the most common surgical procedures among women, hysterectomy is not always necessary and informed consent requires improvement. ‘Long-term' clinical studies in North America and Europe have used questionnaires to ask women about their health one to five years after their surgery. They found out that 'only’ 10 to 20 percent had a negative experience. It is on these grounds that hysterectomy has been regarded as well tolerated. Although, as cancer researchers, Ethan Basch and Christina Yap have observed, tolerating treatment is not the same as living quality and healthy life.
Hysterectomy is, of course, important in the treatment of aggressive cancers and may be appropriate for a variety of non-cancerous conditions that have not responded to more conservative treatment.
