Table 2. Effects of Hysterectomy on Sexual Response.

Abbreviations: + = et al; A = Abdominal; Bi/UniL= Bi/Unilateral; HRT = Hormone Replacement Therapy; L = Laparoscopic; NC = No Change; SC = Supracervical; SCH = Supracervical Hysterectomy; SF = “Sexual Function”; T = Total; TAH = Total Abdominal Hysterectomy; U = Unspecified; V = Vaginal

Author	Year	Hysterectomy							Oophorectomy				HRT post-op	Orgasm												Libido				Vaginal Lubrication				Dyspareunia				Sexual Activity				Sexual Function
		Type			Route									Frequency				Intensity				Difficulty
		T	SC	U	A	V	L	U	Bi	Uni	Intact	U		▴	NC	▾	U	▴	NC	▾	U	▴	NC	▾	U	▴	NC	▾	U	▴	NC	▾	U	▴	NC	▾	U	▴	NC	▾	U	▴	NC	▾	U
Goetsch	2005	65			•							34	Some				•		•						•		•a						•				•				•				•
		35				•
El-Touky +	2004	73			•				122				All				•				•		•				•						•				•		•						•
				62		•
				38			•
			11					•
Zobbe +	2004		161		•				23	17	120	1	U		•				•						•		•				•					•			•						•
		158			•				22	19	117
			105		•				12	14	79
		80			•				23	7	50
Lowenstein +	2004			17	•				17				U				•				•				•				•				•				•				•		•
				7	•
				3		•
Roovers +	2003	164			•				U				U				•				•		•				•				•						•		•						•
			84		•
				107		•
Dragisic +	2003	56%			•				U				U		•				•						•		•						•			•			•						•
			11%				•
			20%		•
				9%		•
				4%			•
Roussis +	2003	61			•				U				U				•				•				•		•						•				•		•						•
				43		•
			22				•
Virtanen +	2003	102			•				34%	18%			28%				•				•				•	•							•			•					•				•
Thakar +	2002	146			•				81				U		•						•				•		•b				•					•			•						•
			133		•				61
Saini +	2002		33		•				10				12			•					•				•				•				•				•			■				•c
		27			•				17				16
Rhodes +	1999			716	•				477	134	481		U	•				•							•	•				•						•		•				•
				260		•
				125			•
Weber +	1999	43			•				23	8	14		22				•	•d	•d	•d			•								•				•				•				•
Lambden +	1997			178	•	•			108				107								•				•	•e							•		•				•			•
Carlson +	1994	73%			•				32%	15%			91%f				•				•				•			•g					•			•					•				•
		37%				•
Darling +	1993		72.60%		•						33%	63%	59				•				•				•				•				•				•		•						•
			27.40%			•
Helstrom +	1993		104					•			U		U		•						•				•		•						•			•		•							•
Bernhard	1992			63	•				25	9			25				•				•	•h					•						•				•				•				•
Kilkku +	1983	105			•				38				10			•					•				•		•						•				•				•				•
			107					•	44				13		•
Kilkku	1983	105			•				38				10																							•			•						•
			107					•	44				13
Dennerstein +	1977			89	•				89				63 i				•				•				•				•				•				•	•j	•j	•j

^a“ease of arousal”

^b“desire for intercourse”

^cTAH patients experienced worse post-op SF than SCH patients

^dApproximately equal numbers of patients showed an increase, decrease, or no change

^eLibido and “interest in sex” significantly increased for patients who remained sexually active

^fHRT was administered to 91% of bilateral-salpingo-oophorectomy group

^g“interest in having sex”

^hNine of 14 had more difficulty experiencing climax after hysterectomy

ⁱ63 continuously; 15 sporadically

^jApproximately equal numbers of patients showed an increase, decrease, or no change

Additional articles summarized in Table 2 but not in the text: References 50–60.

Note: All the following studies omit: a) the women's preferred source of genital stimulation, and b) whether the surgery was nerve-sparing