Hysterectomy without children

@Harlee: I'm about to turn 45. Over the last two years, I've had both ovaries and both tubes removed because they were beyond saving. I still have my uterus.

I think that I was able to go forward with having my ovaries removed because of my age, as well as my gender identity (nonbinary) and my sexual orientation (queer). I'm in a relationship with a cis woman and we have no plans to have children. Since I'm already well into my 40s, my gynecologist (who is amazing) didn't push back on that. She mainly wanted to try to save my ovaries to make menopause easier for me.
But when I was younger (early 30s), I had two ablation surgeries. The doctors did want to preserve my fertility, even though I told them I didn't want children. Hysterectomy was never mentioned as an option.

As far as I know, having children does not make endo go away. Certainly, symptoms can be masked, but it doesn't magically disappear from being pregnant.

I think it is in your interest to keep searching for a better doctor. Have you tried looking at the list of doctors near you on Nancy's Nook?

https://nancysnookendo.com

~Katrina, Endo.net Advocate

Hi! I had a hysterectomy in mid-2021 and I was 38. Oddly enough, a hysterectomy was the first thing mentioned to me back in 2008 when I was first diagnosed with Stage IV Endo and continued to be mentioned for years. I don't recall any of my previous doctors/specialists telling me I was too young for it. I was also told to just get pregnant right away if I wanted to have kids and as stated, pregnancy might mask the symptoms for a short while but it doesn't magically make it disappear. I hope you find someone that actually listens and hears what you want vs what they think you want 💛.

This is a great set of questions! First of all, you shouldn't have to convince your doctor what's best for your health. If you don't feel like they take you seriously or value your input, try to find someone else. There are doctors out there who will go over all your pros and cons to help you make the best decision without putting your fertility above everything else.


With that said, I'll share my thoughts. Pregnancy may help some people feel better, but it doesn't get rid of endo lesions, like says. If a doctor tells you that pregnancy will "cure" your endo, I'd suggest finding someone else. And I don't have a hysterectomy, but I'm a 40-year-old without kids, and the option has been offered to me for endo/adenomyosis off-and-on since I was in my late 20s — I made it clear to my doctors that I never wanted children, something they had to take seriously because my husband had a vasectomy. In my experience, the hysterectomy choice is something that's HIGHLY dependent on the doctor. Some offer it right away, usually leaving the ovaries. Others want to avoid it until you're pre-menopausal.


I did get some clarification recently from my own endo surgeon that when a doctor says "you're too young to have a hysterectomy," it's usually not about having kids. It's because there are certain health risks to having either your uterus taken out or both your uterus and ovaries, especially if you're under 40. Bone and heart issues are some big ones. I was also told that a hysterectomy could get rid of pain from bleeding/periods, but that if I kept my ovaries, it may not lessen my extra-pelvic symptoms. So, my doc wanted me to keep that in mind.


They key to the best treatment is that you find a doctor who'll go over Plan A, B, C, and D of your treatment choices. And they should trust that you can take the information and decide what's best for your health. Definitely check out the iCareBetter website to check for a specialist who might be able to help. It's the endometriosis expert network that Nancy's Nook will direct you to. Good luck! - Keri (endometriosis.net team member)