Sexuality after hysterectomy: a factor analysis of women's sexual lives before and after subtotal hysterectomy.

OBJECTIVE

To study the effect of subtotal hysterectomy on a woman's sexuality.

METHODS

One hundred four women were interviewed 1 month before and 1 year after surgery. Data concerning their sexuality before and after the operation were evaluated using a multivariate method.

RESULTS

Half of the women reported improvement in their sexuality after surgery and 21% reported deterioration. There were only small changes in sexual variables: Frequency of cyclicity of sexual desire was reduced, coital frequency increased, and frequency of desire, frequency of orgasm, and multiplicity of orgasm were unchanged for the entire series. The best predictive factors for sexuality after surgery were presurgical coital frequency, cyclicity of arousability, frequency of desire, and frequency of orgasm. Multiplicity of orgasm, cyclicity of desire, and attitude to the sexual partner also correlated with postoperative sexuality. Preoperative deep dyspareunia had a small influence, although 83% (48 of 58) with deep dyspareunia experienced relief after the operation. Preoperative deterioration of desire and coital activity had no correlation to sexuality after surgery.

CONCLUSION

Preoperative sexual activity is more important in predicting postoperative sexuality than is the occurrence of dyspareunia or deterioration of sexual activity because of uterine disease.