Get It Out: On the Politics of Hysterectomy

In this eye-opening debut study, sociologist Becker offers a cultural and political analysis of hysterectomy. As one of the most frequently performed surgeries worldwide, modern technology has made the operation minimally invasive and lower risk than ever before. Yet hysterectomies are still treated as a last resort—with many patients reporting that physicians refuse to perform the surgery without first trying to preserve a patient’s fertility—and as taboo, with earlier books on the subject given titles like Am I Still a Woman? At the same time, according to Becker, hysterectomy is used to punish and control people of color—she cites instances of nonconsensual hysterectomies ranging from 19th-century experiments on enslaved women to the forced sterilization of detained immigrants in ICE camps as recently as 2020. Conducting more than 100 interviews with patients who had the procedure, she finds similar disparities, with patients of color frequently reporting they were told hysterectomy was their only treatment option as teenagers, while white women nearing 40 were told they were too young to make a decision limiting their future fertility; meanwhile, trans men who presented in more traditionally masculine ways reported more ease in acquiring hysterectomies than their nonbinary peers. This exploration of the uterus as “a cultural battleground” is a must-read for healthcare professionals. (July)