Your doctor is showing this presentation so you can learn about a surgery called vaginal hysterectomy. You and your doctor should have already talked about your health and that after the surgery you will not be able to have children.

A vaginal hysterectomy is when the uterus is taken out through the vagina. Depending on what you want, your fallopian tubes and ovaries may also be taken out. This is called a salpingo-oophorectomy (sal - ping - OOfurECTomy).

Although a hysterectomy keeps you from getting pregnant, it is not a reason to have a hysterectomy. Some reasons to have a hysterectomy are:

• Abnormal uterine bleeding, which is bleeding from your uterus that is not your period,

• Fibroids, which are non-cancerous growths on the uterus,

• Pelvic organ prolapse, or when your female organs start moving down

• Abnormal growths,

• And cancer.

We will talk more about these different things later in the presentation.