I'd Rather Lose My Uterus Than Lose My Vagina

My perspective:

I agree that too many hysterectomies are being done for non-cancerous reasons. And ideally, no woman should ever have to choose between her uterus or her vagina. But the uterus is linked to a woman's biologic clock. Once a woman has completed her childbearing, the purpose of the uterus "to house the growing baby" is over.

The reality is that more women lose their vagina than lose their uterus. Over 50% of postmenopausal women have vulvar/vaginal symptoms such as dryness, burning, itching. With age and lack of use, the vagina becomes less elastic and shorter. The medical term for this is relative short vagina syndrome (seriously). And although the desire and the opportunity might be there, it's just too painful.

There are two relatively new products on the market 1) Mona Lisa - laser treatment to the vagina to restore moisture to the vagina and 2) Elvie - an intra-vaginal device with a smart phone app which provides women with biofeedback as they perform exercises to streghten their vaginal and pelvic floor muscles. Look for my perspective about these two in the near future.