What happens to me sexually when the ovaries are removed?
What happens when your ovaries are removed? As far as your ability to engage in sexual activity is concerned, there are no physical reasons why you cannot continue in your usual manner, though a decrease in vaginal lubrication may make it necessary to use extra lubrication during intercourse. Because the ovaries are not the only production site for estrogens (the adrenal glands also produce androgens, which govern sexual desire), there should be no change in your sexual desires. When the ovaries are removed or destroyed, either by surgery or radiation, menopause occurs, often bringing with it hot flashes or other symptoms which may be more severe than those that accompany naturally occurring menopause. For women of childbearing age, this can be an emotionally difficult time, for they must come to grips with the fact that they can no longer have children. I've had radiation treatments for cervical cancer and find that vaginal dryness is making sex uncomfortable. What's t...