# Possibly dumb question about the female reproductive system **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 17, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109 "2007-10-17T23:31:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Euryphaessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Euryphaessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euryphaessa)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/1 "2007-10-17T23:31:46Z")
If a woman has a hysterectomy but her ovaries are left intact, what happens to the eggs that would be released during ovulation? I apologize if this seems clueless, especially coming from a female, but I can’t recall ever reading about this particular aspect of hysterectomies before. The only information I seem to be getting is “no uterus = no periods”, but that doesn’t really answer my question. There are still gametes in the ovaries, yes? Do they just sit there? If the ovaries continue to produce hormones, does this mess with anything that has to do with the now-absent uterus? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/2 "2007-10-18T03:46:49Z")
I am not a doctor. However, I’ve read that “the body absorbs” the eggs when there’s no uterus for them to travel to. I’ve also read that the body absorbs the sperm of men who’ve had vasectomies. I believe that the ovaries do continue to produce hormones until menopause. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/3 "2007-10-18T08:31:17Z")
That is correct about [producing hormones](http://www.endometriosiszone.org/display.asp?page=hot-topics/0210). > [@](#): > > The ovaries will continue to function even though the uterus is gone, so they will still ovulate as well as produce eggs and estrogen, at least until Mother Nature makes them go to sleep in the mid-late forties in most women. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/4 "2007-10-18T19:54:10Z")
They just float around in the abdominal cavity until the immune system clears them away. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/5 "2007-10-18T20:01:46Z")
> [@Twee website](#): > > Mother Nature makes them go to sleep This is an adult writing for other adults? It is to weep. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/6 "2007-10-18T21:37:35Z")
Their travails are recorded in the Eggs Files. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/7 "2007-10-18T22:06:01Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] Their travails are recorded in the Eggs Files. [/QUOTE] That joke deserves a standing ovulation. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/8 "2007-10-18T22:16:36Z")
Are we ova the puns already? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/9 "2007-10-18T22:27:04Z")
Not eggsactly. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/10 "2007-10-18T22:29:11Z")
Well, someone’s bound to get teste. ---
**Author:** ![Euryphaessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Euryphaessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euryphaessa)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/11 "2007-10-19T01:00:23Z")
Nah, they know we’re only yolking. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/12 "2007-10-19T01:55:33Z")
Another thread down the tubes. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/13 "2007-10-19T02:38:39Z")
Womb for one more? ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/14 "2007-10-19T05:04:48Z")
A good question, but I hope it doesn’t cum periodically. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/15 "2007-10-19T07:49:07Z")
Only in a monthly cycle. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/16 "2007-10-19T10:34:30Z")
[QUOTE=TokyoPlayer] A good question, but I hope it doesn’t cum periodically. [/QUOTE] You felt no compunction at saying that? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/17 "2007-10-19T18:36:35Z")
These are getting too bad to hear personally. Please forward them to my Answering Cervix. ---
**Author:** ![Euryphaessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Euryphaessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euryphaessa)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-the-female-reproductive-system/423109/18 "2007-10-20T02:35:10Z")
The birth of a pun war…