You went to the doctor because you were having the kinds of disconcerting medical issues that only women can suffer – whether that was intense period pain, hormonal issues or excessive bleeding. Maybe you had an irregular PAP test and you were referred to a specialist over cancer concerns.
Either way, you didn’t expect to end up with a hysterectomy at your young age. Now, you’re not only struggling with the loss of your ability to conceive a child, but the massive hormonal consequences on your body. Worse, you now suspect that the hysterectomy could have been avoided.
Why do unneeded hysterectomies happen?
Research indicates that hysterectomies are “overperformed and over-prescribed, especially for certain conditions such as fibroids – particularly to women of color.” They’re constantly being performed for things like:
- Mistaken cancer diagnosis
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Endometriosis
- Uterine fibroids
- Excessive vaginal bleeding
Part of the problem seems to be a lack of familiarity (or education) on the part of many physicians. For a long time, a hysterectomy – albeit extreme – was regarded as the only real cure for many female-related health conditions.
While medicine has made a lot of progress, not every physician has kept up on the alternatives. They may automatically revert to the “tried and true” option of a hysterectomy without even informing a patient of their options.
If this has happened to you, it may be time to discuss your legal rights. Nothing can really make you whole again in a situation like this. However, by speaking up and fighting back, you can help gain a measure of justice.