Are human vaginas or spayed females ultra lower maintenance compared to a fertile unspayed woman?

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[–] 12 points 5 days ago

I feel like it might just be that we don't offer the same level of care to animals than women but yes, also getting spayed or fixed likely decreases the likelyhood of issues the gynocologist checks for. Depends on how they fix the animal; removing the uterus for example, would probably decrease issues later but I imagine tieing the tubes would help less so.

In older women, removing the uterus stops periods and a bunch of other things I have heard.

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  • [–] 9 points 5 days ago

    Spaying prevents a lot of later life gynecological issues in dogs and cats

    https://www.dogster.com/dog-health-care/unspayed-female-dog-problems/ If you don't spay they recommend regular checks.

    https://tica.org/blogs/the-risks-of-not-spaying-neutering-your-cat-what-you-need-to-know/

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  • [–] 5 points 5 days ago (3 children)

    Going in is a check for cancers and STDs. STDs because they can lead to cancers. Like HPV. Herpes is another one. Both can be carried around asymptomaticly. Men, more so, with HPV. There’s a threat to both health and fertility here, hence the concern.

    By the numbers, less sex, less gyn visits are necessary. Post menopausal? You go only if you notice a problem.

    So you have a cat. She’s spayed, lives with another spayed cat, and both are indoors only. Even as a human she wouldn’t be making those visits. That and preserving cat fertility isn’t a big concern.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 day ago (2 children)

    The post menopause comment is incorrect - still supposed to go in every year or two as cancer risk increases with age more than any other risk factor. I go every year, GYN provides pap smear, low dose hormone therapy that prevents most of the migraines I was having from menopause, and prescription for mammogram. Wish it could be every other year but she says no. I got the recommendation for this doctor originally from a lady who'd had a hysterectomy so even in that case you are supposed to go in and get checked.

    It's likely because so very much medical research is done only on men - being a female person is NOT a specialist situation logically as we are more than half the population, but in practice that's how it works. Some women go only to that well woman checkup and no other annual doctor visit.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 day ago (1 child)

    It’s likely individual. No symptoms or adverse effects, fewer visits. Or the insurance companies are fucking us. The mammogram is still yearly.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 day ago

    Yeah we still have sex every day but post- menopause not having sex also causes atrophy, it's damned if you do, damned if you don't I guess. Annual GYN is one of the things that are covered by insurance - a not sarcastic Thanks, Obama win.

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  • [–] 3 points 5 days ago

    Don't know about you but I don't take my male pets for checkups either.

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  • [–] 2 points 5 days ago (4 children)

    I'll assume that by "spayed" you mean getting the tubes tied. But we don't use that word for humans, so please don't go around saying women are spayed.

    Tube tying only prevents pregnancy. It does not prevent any other problems like cancer, cysts, infections, or endocrine-related issues. Removing organs can cause hormonal issues, and generally there will be more side effects from removing the ovaries than the uterus.

    Lots of women don't need to see a gyno that regularly, but doctors have decided that's the best way to collectively prevent certain types of cancer. We're not as worried about cancer in pets, because they don't live nearly as long as humans.

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  • [–] 4 points 5 days ago (2 children)

    Tube tying only prevents pregnancy. It does not prevent any other problems like cancer, cysts, infections, or endocrine-related issues. Removing organs can cause hormonal issues, and generally there will be more side effects from removing the ovaries than the uterus.

    Actually it does help prevent ovarian cancer and is generally recommended for all women once they're done having children.

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  • [–] 1 point 5 days ago (1 child)

    Afaik there is no big recommendation for all women to get a salpingectomie once they are done having kids. Do you have any source for that? (And yes i am very aware that tube removal reduces ovarian cancer. I am specifically asking for "generally recommended".

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  • [–] 3 points 5 days ago

    i think spaying generally means completely removing the uterus and ovaries in an animal, and one of the advantages for it is that it protects against a lot of cancers in the pet.

    for humans, the eqivalent is the hysterectomy. Or, for everything:

    The surgeon may remove your ovaries – a procedure called oophorectomy – or leave them in place. The procedure to remove the tubes is called salpingectomy. When you remove the entire uterus, both tubes, and both ovaries, the entire procedure is called a total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy-oophorectomy.

    https://www.webmd.com/women/hysterectomy

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