Question

A 35-year-old client is scheduled for a vaginal hysterectomy. She asks the nurse about the changes she should expect after surgery. How should the nurse respond?

A. You will stop ovulating.
B. A surgical menopause is predicted immediately.
C. Sexual intercourse will be uncomfortable when resumed.
D. A hysterectomy does not affect the chronological age when menopause usually occurs.

Answer 1

A hysterectomy does not affect the age when natural menopause occurs unless the ovaries are also removed. Menopause is due to a decrease in hormone production by the ovaries, not the removal of the uterus. The nurse should inform the client that her experience of menopause will not be influenced by the hysterectomy, as long as her ovaries are not removed.

Step-by-step explanation:

When addressing a 35-year-old client scheduled for a vaginal hysterectomy, the nurse should explain that option D is correct: 'A hysterectomy does not affect the chronological age when menopause usually occurs.' Menopause is the time when a woman's menstrual cycles end, which is typically around the ages of 50 to 52, but can occur anytime in the forties or fifties. It's due to the loss of ovarian follicles and the hormones they produce. A hysterectomy may remove the uterus, but unless the ovaries are also removed, it does not directly cause menopause. If the ovaries remain, a woman will not ovulate or have menstrual periods, but she will not experience menopause until her ovaries naturally decrease hormone production.