Rapid Fire
Prevalence of Hysterectomies in India
- 14 Jan 2025
- 2 min read
National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-4 data shows higher hysterectomy (surgical removal of uterus) rates in India among low-income agricultural workers and affluent women, due to differing reasons.
Reasons for High Hysterectomy:
- Factors for agricultural workers include poor hygiene, menstrual taboos, delayed gynecological care, and physical labor.
- Example: Maharashtra's Beed district reports an unusually high number of hysterectomies among female sugarcane workers.
- Wealthier women often opt for the procedure due to better affordability and access.
- Financial incentives under schemes like Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) sometimes lead to unnecessary surgeries.
Hysterectomy:
- About:
- A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the woman's uterus (womb).
- It is performed for gynecological conditions like fibroids, endometriosis, abnormal bleeding, and pelvic inflammatory disease when other treatments fail.
- It is also used in cancer treatment and for severe, unresponsive pelvic pain.
- Prevalence in India:
- NFHS-5 data shows that 3% of women aged 15-49 in India have undergone a hysterectomy.
- Highest Prevalence: Andhra Pradesh (9%) and Telangana (8%)
- Lowest Prevalence: Sikkim (0.8%) and Meghalaya (0.7%).
- The Southern region has the highest prevalence (4.2%), followed by the Eastern region (3.8%), while the Northeast has the lowest (1.2%).
- NFHS-5 data shows that 3% of women aged 15-49 in India have undergone a hysterectomy.
Read More: NFHS-5 National Report, Hysterectomy
