THE PREVALENCE OF HYSTERECTOMY IN SOUTH-AUSTRALIA

Objective: To ascertain the prevalence of hysterectomy in the South Australian community. Design and setting: Data were collected as part of the South Australian Health Omnibus Survey which involved a self-weighting, multistage, systematic, representative area cluster sample of 4608 households in metropolitan and country South Australia. One thousand and forty-seven women over the age of 40 were personally interviewed by trained data collectors. Outcome measures: Demographic characteristics, selected medical descriptive variables and the prevalence of hysterectomy. Results: 27.9% of the respondents over 40 had undergone a hysterectomy. The prevalence rose from 18.9% in the 40-44 age group to 31.4% in women aged between 55 and 64 years. There were no statistically significant associations with country of birth, educational attainment or income. Significantly more women who had undergone a hysterectomy were current or past users of oestrogen replacement therapy and they also visited their general practitioner more frequently. Elevated body mass index and the prevalence of diabetes also approached statistical significance. Conclusion: At current rates nearly a third of South Australian women will have a hysterectomy during their lifetime.