by Margaret Aranda, MD, Ph.D.
Men don't usually think of a woman's ovaries too often, unless there is a reason to, such as when their wife of 30 years develops ovarian cancer. Otherwise, the ovaries secrete eggs once a month, and when not impregnated by a sperm, the uterine lining sheds, causing the menstrual period.
Of course it's not all that easy, because a woman's ovaries secrete estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in different amounts, at different times through the ovarian cycle, so well, Uhhhhmmm... there is the explanation you've been waiting for, regarding her cycles, her period, her Pre-menstrual Syndrome (PMS), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), irritability, sadness, as well as physical cramping and torture that may lead some to consider suicide.
The women that have virtually no symptoms of belly ache or headache or migraines? We go on, then we go off, and WaLa! No big deal (but don't tell those other women, because they will hate us).
So there are a few things every man should know about his woman's ovaries:
1. She is born with two; one on each side of the uterus. I have detailed this out for you, including hormone production of the hormones, quite thoroughly: Ovaries For Babies
2. After menopause, the ovaries can still work for up to 15 years in some women, so don't let her just rush out to the nearest drive-through Hysterectomy Site and get her uterus out (and what about the ovaries?). With heart disease being the #1 cause of death in women, Uhhhhmmm....we have a choice....a) take a 1:70 chance of getting ovarian cancer, or 2) keep up the monitoring for uterine cancer with a simple blood test called a CA-125. Many have argued: Men get their PSA tested, so why shouldn't women get their CA-125 tested? When I was in medical school, ovarian cancer was a death sentence. Today, things are better although mortality is still considerable. So at some point, men, your wife has to decide and/or some doctor is going to insist that she get a hysterectomy (uterus out) plus oopherectomy (ovaries out, too), and you can't just stare into the wall.
3. For hysterectomy, considerations of whether or not the ovaries should be taken out are spelled out for you roughly here, here, but don't be deceived. There are charges that the whole thing is a racket, and it is a fact that women are dying earlier than they ever have, while men are living longer. Could that be the effect of ovary removal? So yes, many women have 'ok' experiences with their hysterectomy and oophorectomy that it hardly phases them. In fact, some ladies at the office brag about it until every single woman has had one. Guess what? There won't be any grandchildren for you, and you will spend some nights crying. Because you should have been more involved. But now you are being proactive, right? So let's get prepared and realize that not all women have a good outcome.
4. The rest of the women wish they were never born, practically. They suffer severe depression, womb emptiness, and constantly cry. So men, learn about this stuff. Take some time off work to delve into it as if it was your most important "job project" that could make your life either a living hell or a blissful heaven. Because unless you do so, this author thinks you are sitting in the back seat reading the newspaper while your wife is about to morph into another being, and you don't give a crap.
5. So get up and read. Go to her appointments. Act like you're interested. Because who is going to wipe your butt when you get old? Do You have a Long-Term Care Policy in place? Geez. You have a lot of work to do, but just take baby steps, one at a time.
Archives of the Vagina: A Journey through Time
by Dr. Margaret Aranda
ISBN: 978-1-62854-116-8
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