Anoushka Shankar Undergoes Double Hysterectomy; Opens Up About Getting Her Uterus Removed In An Empowering Note Titled ‘LADY BITS’

In a bid to promote and encourage talks about important matters related to women’s reproductive health, musician Anoushka Shankar took to Twitter to reveal that she no longer has a uterus as she underwent double hysterectomy and shared the story of her struggles in an empowering note titled ‘LADY BITS’

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Anoushka Shankar Undergoes Double Hysterectomy; Opens Up About Getting Her Uterus Removed In An Empowering Note Titled ‘LADY BITS’
Internationally acclaimed sitarist Anoushka Shankar, daughter of the late  Ravi Shankar, recently revealed that she underwent double hysterectomy and no longer has a uterus. In a bid to promote and encourage talks about important matters related to women’s health, she decided to pen down a lengthy note and shares all her thoughts and multiple experiences. She took to Twitter and wrote “LADY BITS, by Anoushka Shankar (Swipe to read about why I no longer have a uterus, and why I decided to tell you).”

The note begins with Anoushka sharing that she no longer has a uterus and that she had a double surgery to have it removed.  She mentions that she had large fibroids which made her uterus as big as if it were six months pregnant. In all, she had 13 tumors that had to be surgically removed. She also opened up about how she was left depressed after discovering about her illness and the kind of fears it triggered. When she spoke to her friends and family, she found out that hysterectomies were quite common and many women she khew had gone through it. She writes, “I wondered why the surgery wasn’t talked about more if it was so common. When I asked, one woman, said in response, ‘Well, we aren’t exactly going to flash our lady-bits everywhere, are we?’” She further added that she looked back and realized that girls were expected to cope with a lot in silence. She adds, “Yet I look back and realise I allowed my internalised embarrassment and shame around sexual health, and my period, in particular, to remain unchallenged all these years.” Read the full letter here:




Further in the letter, Anoushka Shankar goes on to reveal her gynaecology history and mentioned that  she bled for half her teenage life, ten days at a time every 20-25 days. Anoushka Shankar is the daughter and protégé of renowned sitar player Ravi Shankar. She was married to British director Joe Wright and has two kids. The couple were together for seven years before they separated last year.


Image Source: Instagram/anoushkashankarofficial, Twitter/ShankarAnoushka