Hysterectomy, a time to change the terminology.

Abstract

What is the etymology of the word "hysterectomy"? “Hyster” in the Greek and Latin languages (with the resultant hysterikos and hystericus, respectively) means “of the womb” [1]. However, another etymologic derivative of “hyster” is hysteria with hysterikos and hystericus being terms that referred to neurotic conditions being from the womb and as such being a disease of women [1]. In ancient times Egyptians and Greeks believed that the “hysterical disorder” was caused because the womb was moving throughout a woman’s body [2]. In the fifth century, BCE Hippocrates coined the word “hysteria” [1]. Whereas the uterus has been historically equated with womanhood, motherhood, and female sexuality, "Hysteria" has negative connotations of emotional instability, lack of control, and other behavioral symptoms [2]. Thus, the ancient Greeks and Romans left us with an association between undesirable emotions and the uterus. To highlight the relevance of this association, historically, physicians recommended a hysterectomy as a potential cure for hysteria [2]. It should also be noted that until 1980, hysteria was a formally recognized psychological disorder that could be found in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) [3].