Opinion: Hysterectomy is more common, and occurs at younger ages, for women with less education
Hysterectomy is one of the most common inpatient surgeries. Currently, nearly one in three Canadian women aged 60 and older have had their uterus removed.
While this rate is falling, mainly due to greater use of non-surgical treatments for many gynecological conditions, hysterectomy appears to be normalized in Canada. Many women and some physicians view hysterectomy as a routine part of aging or natural step after childbearing.
This cultural acceptance is a problem because, in the long term, hysterectomy appears to be associated with an increased risk of heart problems and other chronic illnesses.
In Canada, approximately 35,000 hysterectomies are performed annually. The majority are for non-cancerous conditions such as abnormal uterine bleeding, fibroid growths, and pelvic organ prolapse.
In Alberta, the rate of hysterectomy is more than 20 per cent higher than the national rate (328 versus 269 per 100,000 adult women), and Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) data shows the province has had a comparatively higher rate since 2010.
Within our team of medical professionals and health researchers, we know hysterectomy can have long-term health consequences and that it is overused in certain patient populations. Our research focuses on female reproductive health across the lifespan, with an overarching vision to make the........© Vancouver Is Awesome
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