14.6 Percent of U.S. Women Had Received Hysterectomy in 2021

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 28, 2024 (HealthDay News) — In 2021, 14.6 percent of women aged 18 years and older had received a hysterectomy, with the percentage increasing with age, according to a February data brief published by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Yelena Gorina, M.P.H., from the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, and colleagues describe the percentage of women aged 18 years and older who have had a hysterectomy using data from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey.

The researchers found that 14.6 percent of women aged 18 years and older had received a hysterectomy in 2021, with the percentage increasing with age, from 2.8 to 41.8 percent for those ages 18 to 44 years and 75 years and older, respectively. The likelihood of having had a hysterectomy was lowest for Asian non-Hispanic women, followed by Hispanic, White non-Hispanic, and Black non-Hispanic women (6.1 percent versus 12.5, 15.6, and 16.3 percent, respectively). Compared with women without disabilities, those with disabilities were more likely to have had a hysterectomy (14.1 versus 20.9 percent). There was variation noted in the percentage of women who have had hysterectomy by education level and family income. As urbanization level decreased, the percentage of women who have had a hysterectomy increased; variation was seen by region of residence.

“Using nationally representative data, this report provides the overall prevalence of hysterectomy and measures disparities among adult women by selected sociodemographic characteristics,” the authors write.

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