Getting routinely screened for cervical cancer is among one of the most important things that those of us with a cervix can do to prevent and find any signs of abnormalities. In the United States of America, when you either reach 21 years old or begin having intercourse, it’s recommended to do so at least once every three years. This is called a pap smear. When your results come back, your gynecologist can tell you what to do next. If you have a high level of abnormality, you might undergo a LEEP procedure to cut away that abnormal tissue.
The majority of women recover from this procedure. It eradicates the abnormal HPV cells that can lead to cervical cancer, some have reported a loss in their sex drive as a result. We’ve done some research to find out more about what the procedure can do to your sex drive. Keep reading for more!
Why the LEEP Procedure Might Result in a Lower Sex Drive
According to VICE News, Olivia Goodman, a 27-year-old woman they interviewed from California, started to feel that her sex drive might be drifting away from her. She had the usual bleeding post-procedure, but also had zero interest in sex. During her recovery, she got a feeling and decided to google the procedure along with the words “sex drive” and found out that she wasn’t the only one who might be feeling this way. The risks of LEEP that are currently part of the process are high enough. They are the risk of premature labor, low birth weight, miscarriage, and a narrowing of the cervix that could possibly make you infertile. But some do report a loss of libido, pain during intercourse, and the inability to orgasm.
VICE News did speak to the doctor Irwin Goldstein from the University of California, San Diego, whose opinion, although not shared by a majority of the scientific community, stated that ignoring this part of the process is discrimination against women. He knows that when men are undergoing procedures on their sexual organs, there’s a conversation about sex, always. Like when someone is suffering from prostate cancer. It’s impossible to think that operating in that area with a female would not at least incur a chance of some sort of sexual effect. You’re involving the vagina, G-spot, clitoris, labia, and hymen after all.
What Research Has Said
While some try to say the cervix has barely any nerve endings, that belief is actually false. In fact, this study has shown that the cervix has many, many nerve endings. And on top of this, for many women, the cervix is the primary factor in achieving orgasm!
The risk of cancer from higher levels of cervical dysplasia is important to note. But there’s something to be said about making sure that the research that has been done is included in the side effects of the procedure. For example, studies at Chiang Mai University in Thailand and the University of California acknowledge this. In fact, way more research needs to be done. Many of us who do have a cervix acknowledge that this does in fact happen to them. When will they speak?
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