Finally. Women have been telling their doctors this for years–following hysterectomy, a great number of us don’t do so well. Some remarkable women, such as Lise Cloutier-Steel have written about it. Some elements of the god old “boys” club have tried to say this is all in our heads.

Guess what? Someone finally did a study. The study conducted at the University of Michigan reports:

Women who undergo a hysterectomy may have more problems with daily activities like climbing stairs and carrying groceries than women who go through a natural menopause, new research suggests.

In a study of 544 middle-aged women, researchers found that those who’d had a hysterectomy tended to develop more difficulties with a number of everyday physical activities.

This was true regardless of whether they were taking hormone replacement therapy, the researchers report in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

In my opinion, 544 women is a good start. It isn’t a gigantic sample but this study is more conclusive than anecdotal evidence, however compelling. It isn’t however, good news for women who have had a hysterectomy.

These women tended to do more poorly on tests of physical function, such as stair climbing and measures of hand-grip strength. They also reported more difficulties in day-to-day activities like walking, carrying groceries, bending and kneeling.

The findings raise the possibility that women who’ve had a hysterectomy will be more vulnerable to disabilities as they age, according to the researchers, led by Dr. MaryFran Sowers.

Dr. Sowers concedes more studies need to be done. I’m glad she’s on the job, aren’t you?