# Hysterectomy question.(kind of gross)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hysterectomy-question-kind-of-gross/145819>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 31, 2002, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hysterectomy-question-kind-of-gross/145819 "2002-12-31T04:42:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hysterectomy-question-kind-of-gross/145819/21 "2003-01-01T17:42:17Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Lissa \*  
> \*\*Many victims of female circumcision (in which the labia are sewn shut) develop horrible infections which can leave them sterile. \*\*

This procedure is also known as [infibulation](http://www.angelfire.com/ar/pilgrim/infibdesc.html).

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**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hysterectomy-question-kind-of-gross/145819/22 "2003-01-01T18:53:42Z")

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The Master on [female](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_197.html) and [male](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_073.html) infibulation.

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**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hysterectomy-question-kind-of-gross/145819/23 "2003-01-01T23:44:48Z")

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There is, in fact, one instance in which vaginal removal would be ethical and proper medical practice: cancer.

There was no mention of _why_ this woman in the OP had a hysterectomy. But if it was done because of cancer and/or precancerous cells in the vaginal area then there might have been a legitimate reason for what she claimed was done.

And don’t forget, doctors didn’t always tell patients when they had cancer in the old days. And some folks don’t want to admit they had cancer.

Of course, the whole story could be hookum, too

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**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hysterectomy-question-kind-of-gross/145819/24 "2003-01-02T01:50:51Z")

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My grandmother joked that she had the babycarriage removed, but they left the playpen. That would have been somewhere around that time, so anecdotally it was not universal.

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