Hysterectomies and Trans-Inclusive Reproductive Health Research

Hysterectomy is the most common gynecological surgery worldwide and an essential part of gender affirming healthcare. Despite the high prevalence and medical significance, there is a dearth of social scientific scholarship on this procedure, particularly pertaining to trans and nonbinary populations.  I use hysterectomy as a case for understanding how reproductive health practices are constrained by and contribute to notions of gender, race, and trans inclusive stratified reproduction. I draw on 100 in-depth interviews with individuals who had, want, or are considering hysterectomy to treat chronic reproductive health conditions or as gender-affirming care for trans and gender-nonbinary (TGNB) individuals. These comparative groups shed insight across three gender groups (cis women, trans men, nonbinary) as well as across race. Findings show divergent patient–provider interactions ranging from physician support to provider coercion to gatekeeping. Similarly, the data reveal that hysterectomy evokes a wide range of reactions—from delight to neutrality to grief. These distinct reactions and interactions map on to gender, race, and ethnicity, revealing persistent reproductive stratification by social positionality. Bringing together feminist science and technology studies with intersectional theories of the body and reproductive justice, I show how stratified reproduction operates when gender identities vary and introduce the concept of opting into infertility.