S3 Ep166: Paternalism and the Uterus

The 1950s and 60s were a time of medical paternalism in America. The doctor, who was male in 98 percent of cases, decided what was best for his patient and unilaterally made decisions that were rarely, if ever questioned. In 1969 Dr. Marcus Welby was the TV prototype of this godlike paragon, and he spoke decisively and with authority in countless American households, including my own, on a weekly basis. This paternalistic approach to medical care affected both male and female patients but had a more profound impact on women since they regularly required medical intervention due to childbirth and gynecologic issues.

This was a time when the likelihood of a hysterectomy was at its peak. Estimates suggest that the annual incidence of hysterectomy in 1935 was 2.4 per 1000 women. By the 1970s, it was 11 women per 1000 . 

This episode is a historical perspective examining the rise..and fall of inappropriate hysterectomies that were driven by not just paternalism, but other factors as well. 

And if you are looking for a little more history, head over to my substack for my article on Historic Approaches to dealing with uterine prolapse.

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Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.

Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine. 

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Books by Lauren Streicher, MD

•  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain
   
• Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat
  
  
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