Sexual behavior after breast cancer
In discussions about treatment options, survival statistics, and chance of recurrence, this is not an issue that patients and their doctors often discuss.
It should be, say, breast-
Cancer survivors in Bowen
Breast cancer has changed everything.
Of course, sex is the same as everything else, "said coffee, founder and CEO of the Breast Cancer Sisters Association.
Author of breast cancer Sisterhood (Survival Media Network LLC, $12. 99.
) "I think a couple has to solve the problem.
Sex builds a bond, like anything else you do together, and you need each other the most now.
"Thanks to advances in screening and treatment, more women survived breast cancer than a generation ago.
This is good news, but as people focus on treatment and survival, women tend to struggle to adapt to life after they get sick.
The physical and emotional scars left by breast cancer can hinder physical intimacy with a partner.
"Doctors will not talk about it, and patients will not bring it up," said a clinical nurse expert at the Houston psychiatric department . ".
"All of these women sit there and think they are the only women with sexual dysfunction.
"In fact, sexual problems are very common during and after the breasts --
Cancer treatment, Hughes said.
Chemotherapy may lead to a sudden loss of estrogen in the ovary, causing women to enter menopause immediately.
Total abdominal resection of the ovary will result in permanent menopause.
Symptoms of menopause include lack of desire, decreased orgasm ability, vaginal dryness and atrophy, which can lead to pain in sexual life.
Patients with estrogen
Positive breast cancer is usually treated with hormone to block estrogen, which can lead to sexual dysfunction.
Women usually take the drug for five years.
Chemotherapy may cause neurological lesions, or tingling or numbness in certain parts of the body, including female sexual organs, Hughes said.
This can make sex less enjoyable.
Body image also played a role.
Women may worry about their scars or feel less feminine after losing one or two breasts and hair.
"Whether a woman has a breast reconstruction or not, she has to catch her new body," said one of the two. time breast-
Cancer survivors and close authors after breast cancer (1 square, $16 ). 95).
Women should remember that they may be more worried about their physical changes than their partners.
"I thank her for the scar because the surgery saved my wife's life," said Brenda coffee's husband . ".
"They left her with me.
"The diagnosis of breast cancer is not necessarily a sign of death in physical intimacy.
Here's the advice to maintain or resume your sex life: talk openly with your partner, who may hesitate to bring up sex or worry that it will be painful for you.
If you feel yourself
Pay attention to your scars and try to sleep in a lace camper or other underwear.
If desire is a problem, then increasing the foreplay can increase the wake-up.
Schedule intimate time, says Hughes, which helps to relieve stress on you and your partner.
While receiving treatment, choose the time with the greatest energy.
Maisano says breast is a sexy area for most women, so if you lose one or two breasts, find a new sexy area with your partner.
Tell your partner what feels good and what doesn't feel good anymore.
Try vaginal moisturizer and water
Soluble lubricant that helps dry.
Vegetable oil also works.
Doctors say there are also some hormone preparations to help with vaginal dryness and atrophy, which may be safer for women with breast cancer
A medical oncologist
Discuss these options with your oncologist.
If chemotherapy reduces the feeling of the sex organs, you can try sex toys, which can provide stimulation while stimulating your sex life.
To help improve your body image, make sure you eat a healthy diet and exercise (which is critical to your health anyway ).
Don't hesitate to talk to your oncologist about sexual issues, says Wilks.
Your gynecologist can also help.
Some urologists may recommend some non-drug measures to treat complications associated with estrogen deficiency.
Kegel exercise, for example, may help with vaginal atrophy.
If you are suffering from depression or anxiety, doctors should treat these problems first because they affect sexual desire, Hughes said.
If it is difficult to communicate physical intimacy with your partner, consider meeting the consultant together.