Unnecessary Hysterectomy in India: Puzzling Patterns Around Women’s Bodies and Health Systems

Join the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future for the next talk in its Global Health Politics Workshop series. The event, titled "Unnecessary Hysterectomy in India: Puzzling Patterns Around Women’s Bodies and Health Systems,” will feature Sapna Desai (Senior Fellow, Population Council Institute). Hysterectomy – the removal of the uterus – presents a puzzling public health challenge in India. The average age of hysterectomy is strikingly low and appears to be used as a permanent solution for common gynecological ailments, mainly among rural women who have completed childbearing. This talk will examine hysterectomy as it relates to women’s health and rights, sub-national health systems in India, and other social determinants. This monthly speaker series brings together leading social scientists from the disciplines of anthropology, political science, and sociology to advance the understanding of health phenomena in a globally interconnected world. The series operates in a hybrid format to accommodate participation in person and via Zoom.