Representations of women facing hysterectomy indication

Abstract

This is a qualitative and exploratory-descriptive research that aims to associate the myths, desires and taboos of women undergoing hysterectomy preoperative with gender and sexuality questions. It is based on the Theory of Social Representations. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews between April and June of 2006, at the gynecology ambulatory of a University Hospital. Thirteen patients were interviewed and data underwent thematic content analysis. Most patients had 40 to 45 years, seven of them were married and nine had children. The most incident pathology was uterine miomatosis. The analytics categories obtained were: the reason for the consultation; the kind of married life; and the partner's myths and perceptions of the surgery. Motherhood permeated many of the expectations and different perceptions were noted: while patients who had children considered it to be a regular surgery and expected it to be the solution for clinical problems, those without children associated the surgery with their reproductive potential, seeing the uterus as a vital organ to their fulfillment. We noticed that the representations related to hysterectomy are based on the significance of the uterus as an organ associated with reproduction, sexuality and femininity.Therefore, in order to provide care to these women it is necessary to think about them in a holistic way, recognizing and appreciating their representations, making it easier to face the surgery and, moreover, preventing personal and marital conflicts.