Article: Sex After Hysterectomy - Do I Really Have to Wait Six Weeks?

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Article: Sex After Hysterectomy - Do I Really Have to Wait Six Weeks?
Do I really have to wait six weeks until I can have sex? Why? What could happen if I didn't wait? Isn't there anything I can do?

Your questions are very normal!

Post-op hysterectomy patients are told "nothing in the vagina for six weeks and/or until the doctor exams the stitched vaginal cuff during a routine post-op exam and sees it healing properly.

Post-op hysterectomy patients also tend to experience a heightened sense of libido during this time which makes waiting all the more frustrating.

Libido or not, hysterectomy patients should not put *anything* into their vagina until released by their personal doctor for sexual intercourse.

During a hysterectomy (when the total uterus is removed, including the cervix) the top of the vagina is stitched closed to make a vaginal cuff. This area is full of stitches that require healing.

Sexual intercourse can introduce bacteria into the vagina causing an infection.

Sexual intercourse can also cause torn stitches.

We have many reports of women who did not heed their doctor's orders and had additional surgery to repair the vaginal cuff torn open by sexual intercourse too early. Others have reported horrendous infections that sent them back to the hospital for antibiotics via IV.

While not as serious sounding, other women have reported bleeding and added pain requiring pain medications for days after sex when not released by their doctors.

It is important that you curtail all vaginal sexual activities until your doctor examines you and releases you. Allowing plenty of time for healing is important.

Even at the six week mark, many women are still told they must wait for sexual activities. Vaginal cuffs that are not healing properly are treated (usually with silver nitrate) and told to wait for an additional 2-4 weeks.

Additional surgery to repair the damage by "sex too early" is not the best of circumstances.

What is allowed? Outercourse. Check with your doctor but in most cases this means clitorial stimulation. Most doctors say no to oral sex as this introduces more bacteria into the area. Anal sex is also generally not allowed but check with your personal physician.

Additional comments by HysterSisters:

	Quote:
"My doctor told me to wait 6 weeks, but my husband and I did it on the 4th week. Now I am sitting here with a catheter in me for I had my bladder resting on top of all those stitches in there and when we did it....we ripped some stitches and made a hole in bladder which is now a fistula. Its very painful and awful, for I have been wearing this catheter for 3 months now and I will be facing another surgery to do some repairs."

	Quote:
"Having sex caused my UTI to not go away by re-forcing more bacteria by the uretha. Due to the infection raging, I have been severely nauseaous/vomiting. I have lost 14 lbs in the past 7 days and have become very dehydrated. I am now on potent anti-nausea pills that they use for chemo patients so that I can become rehydrated. Then, after that, they will start me on a stronger antibiotic for the UTI."

	Quote:
"I have seen surgery done on a woman who had sex at 1 week.....She even had semen in her abdominal cavity and a raging infection because of the contaminated opening into what is supposed to be a sterile environment. Her bladder was stuck to her vagina and her bowels were a mess."

The bottom line is simple: Nothing in the vagina until released by the doctor who is the only one that can know for certain that the stitches have healed properly and you will not be risking a major setback.

This content was written by staff of HysterSisters.com by non-medical professionals based on discussions, resources and input from other patients for the purpose of patient-to-patient support.