Hysterectomy is a major surgery which involves removal of the uterus and cervix. It can have a huge impact on the life of women. It also affects their sexual lives. A lot of females complain about vaginal dryness or lowered libido after hysterectomy.
The impact of a hysterectomy on sex depends on whether the ovaries and cervix are removed as well. If the ovaries are left intact, sperm can still move through the cervix into the upper reproductive tract towards the fallopian tubes. However, a total hysterectomy, which removes the uterus and cervix, will alter this pathway and sperm will have to find other ways of moving into the reproductive tract.
For men who want to remain fertile after a hysterectomy, sperm banking is an option. Sperm can be stored in liquid nitrogen and used for in vitro fertilization later on. However, men who donate their semen for sperm banks must undergo medical screening and provide family health history information. Additionally, they must have an up-to-date STI screening before donating sperm.
If a woman has a hysterectomy, she can still have biological children by using an artificial reproductive technology (ART) procedure like IVF. In IVF, a woman who has a hysterectomy provides her eggs, which are then fertilized by her partner's sperm and implanted into a gestational carrier's uterus. This pregnancy is very similar to one that would happen if the woman had a healthy uterus. The embryo would then be carried to term by the gestational carrier.