New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) Ahead of hysterectomy awareness month in May, the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India on Wednesday launched a nationwide campaign 'Preserve The Uterus' to raise awareness about avoiding an untimely or unjustified hysterectomy.

The campaign will be implemented in partnership with the global pharmaceutical major Bayer and the Integrated Health and Wellbeing (IHW) Council, a not-for-profit health awareness institution.

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Hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the uterus. It also refers to removing fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix and other related organs.

Untimely hysterectomies have been a cause of concern in India over the past few years. According to the National Family Health Survey of 2015-2016, the prevalence of the procedure among women of 30-39 years was 3.6 per cent.

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Heavy menstrual bleeding or excessive bleeding was the main cause cited by over 50 per cent of women who underwent the surgery for removing the uterus, Dr Shanta Kumari, Gynaecologist and the president of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) said.

At a launch of the campaign, Dr Kumari said if uterus removal is accompanied by oophorectomy -- removal of one or two ovaries -- it can advance the development of menopause by a few years.

Menopause may also be linked to a range of chronic health conditions such as osteoporosis and may increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

"There is a need to create awareness and help women understand what is hysterectomy or uterus removal, the diseases that impact the uterus and the choices for treatment available.

"With this campaign, we aim to sensitise and educate healthcare practitioners and increase the acceptance of modern methods to manage gynaecological diseases while raising awareness about issues such as heavy menstrual bleeding," she said.

Manoj Saxena, the managing director of Bayer Zydus Pharma, said, "We will work closely with the Integrated Health And Wellbeing (IHW) Council to engage with government bodies and raise awareness among women to empower them to make informed choices about their health."

In India, women often undergo a hysterectomy, as a solution for their menstrual problems and related taboos due to unavailability of appropriate gynaecological care, practical difficulties in living with reproductive health problems and inappropriate use of insurance, among others, he said.

Claims under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PM-JAY) indicate a significant reimbursement volume for hysterectomy procedures.

According to reports, from September 2018 to April 2019, as many as 24,00,981 pre-authorizations were raised for all packages under PM-JAY, Kamal Narayan Omer, the CEO of IHW Council said.

"Of these, 21,896 (0.9 per cent) were for hysterectomy," he said.

Women are not given the full set of options and information about gynaecological morbidity and where hysterectomy fits in. Lack of access to proper gynaecological care outside of pregnancy, poor awareness about gynaecological disorders and attitudes that see the uterus as disposable post-children all combine to make an early hysterectomy a fatal accomplice for many women, Omer said.

Dr Madhuri Patel, the secretary-general of FOGSI said that in the past hysterectomy used to be the only option to get rid of the heavy bleeding.

But with the advent of technology and modern medicine, we can preserve the uterus, she said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)