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How Important are Your Ovaries?
Uniquely life-giving, yet vulnerable to chronic and deadly diseases, the ovaries play a
complex role in a woman's physical and mental health. This pair of endocrine glands --
each one the size and shape of a large almond -- are the twin pillars of the female
reproductive system. Here, for the duration of a woman's reproductive years, the egg cells
are nurtured, awash in changing tides of hormones. "At the ovulation point of the
menstrual cycle, an egg is released from the ovary and sent on through the fallopian tubes
and into the uterus," explains John Hughes, M.D., a gynecologist at Lowell General
Hospital. "From fertility to pregnancy, the ovaries are vital to a woman's
reproductive health." Although the connections aren't fully understood, it is also
clear that the ovaries' influence reaches well beyond reproduction.
When the ovaries become dysfunctional or diseased, they may threaten a woman's overall
health. Ovarian cysts -- about 95 percent of which are benign -- can produce chronic pain
and other medical complications. "Because ovarian cancer produces no clear symptoms
in the earliest and potentially most treatable stage, it remains one of the most deadly
cancers for women," notes Dr. Hughes. As a result, the ovaries can be a source of
fear for some women.
In families with a strong history of ovarian cancer, women sometimes discuss with their
physicians the removal of ovaries to reduce the risk -- and the fear -- of developing
cancer. The fear of cancer may also prompt women with no family history of ovarian disease
to ask about removal of the ovaries during other necessary pelvic surgery. However,
physicians and researchers will often suggest a more conservative approach until more is
understood about the ovaries and their potential usefulness during and after menopause.
Historically women's reproductive role has been such a powerful part of their identity
that, for some women, the ovaries play a significant role in emotional health as well as
physical well-being. Therefore, even a woman faced with a clear medical need to have the
ovaries removed may become troubled by the loss of this reproductive facet of her body.
In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the complex nature of the ovaries
and the role of the hormones they produce or influence. "Future research is expected
to expand understanding of the ovaries' role beyond pregnancy," says Dr. Hughes.
"Any links between ovarian health and incidences of depression, heart disease,
cancers or other general health concerns can be used to develop more effective ways to
diagnose, treat or prevent those diseases."
For now, a woman who gets a yearly pelvic examination and pap smear and follows up with
any further recommended tests is doing the most she can to safeguard her ovarian health
for her reproductive years and beyond.
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