Ask the Experts- January 2022

Dear Red Hot Mamas,

I have been an avid reader of your newsletter for many years. I appreciate all the information you provide to women. My doctor told me that I should have a hysterectomy. My question to you is will I go into menopause if I have a hysterectomy. I am 42 years old. I thank you for answering this question.

Carol

Dear Carol,

It is always great to hear nice comments from our readers.

To answer your question, if you have the kind of hysterectomy surgical procedure that leaves your ovaries intact, your hormone production may gradually decline just the same as it would if you still had a uterus. But, sometimes the process may occur faster than it would have been. You may experience perimenopause in the same way as anybody who has their uterus intact. However, you won’t have periods and you won’t be able to get pregnant.

If your ovaries are removed, you will go into what is called “surgical menopause”.

Symptoms will appear rapidly and may be severe due to hormone levels which suddenly plummet. Your clinician should discuss treatments which provide symptomatic relief.

Thank you for writing to Red Hot Mamas.