Coping with sexual changes and response during cancer treatment

What you need to know:

  • Some patients experience changes in all areas (desire, arousal, orgasm and resolution), but others experience none. Cancer treatment and sexuality can be awkward to discuss, but opening the lines of discussion can make a big difference to patients and their romantic partners.

Any cancer treatment, whether it is surgery, chemotherapy, hormone treatment or radiation, it can cause a variety of sexual changes.

Some patients experience changes in all areas (desire, arousal, orgasm and resolution), but others experience none. Cancer treatment and sexuality can be awkward to discuss, but opening the lines of discussion can make a big difference to patients and their romantic partners.

Most common sexual changes

For cancer patients, the common sexual change experienced is an overall loss of desire. For men, it can be erection problems while for women, vaginal dryness and pain during sex are common.

Most men and women may find it hard to have an orgasm since cancer treatment interferes with erections or vaginal lubrication, or in rare cases it involves removing parts of the pelvic organs.

Cancer treatment often leads to changes in appearance or bodily functioning. When these changes happen, patients may feel less positive about their bodies and their sexuality. The strain these changes put on romantic relationships and sexual health often goes unaddressed.

One should know that, the following common cancer treatment side effects may affect his/her sexual desire. These are fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, hair-loss, weight changes, scars and sensitivity to taste or smell.

Coping with sexual changes

Finding the most helpful remedy may take time and patience because sexual changes may be caused by both psychological and physical factors.

If you are having sex during chemotherapy, you may need to use protection, such as condoms and dental dams (for oral sex), since chemotherapy chemicals can be in semen or vaginal fluid. Patients in their child-bearing years should be aware that, a pregnancy during or after chemotherapy can be complicated by birth defects.

Radiation therapy does not make you radioactive or endanger your partner in any way. If you are undergoing ‘brachytherapy’, which implants radioactive seeds in your body, you may have to stop sexual activity briefly until the radiation has left the body.

Sex can be a problem if you have bleeding in the genital area following a recent surgery or if your immune system is very weakened.

Here is my little advice for communicating about appearance or functional changes you or your partner may experience due to cancer and cancer treatment:

• Start a conversation: It can be comforting to share your experiences and remind each other that you are in this together.

• Voice your concern and acknowledge what has changed: Express your concerns and feelings-as long as it’s done positively, without blame or criticism. When communicated in this way, your partner is much more likely to respond openly.

• Be patient when it comes to intimacy: Expect adjustments to physical changes to take time. You may need to adjust on your own, before working on the impact of these changes as a couple. Set aside extra time for intimacy and be patient with one another