Skip to main content

Sexual Wellbeing



While some women experience positive changes to their sexual wellbeing or sexual relationship after breast cancer, for others breast cancer can have the opposite effect.
"I love my husband very much and our relationship is good but my physical body does not respond like it used to." -- Woman, 51 years
Sexual wellbeing is a complex and personal issue. Some women may experience physical changes such as fatigue, hot flushes or weight gain, while other women experience emotional changes such as  depression, or not feeling confident about their body. We know that for many women vaginal dryness can also be an issue due the effects of chemotherapy or hormonal therapies which can cause discomfort, especially during sex. Other women tell us that they often lack energy and desire for sex due to fatiguing treatments or changed hormone levels. Very often it's a combination of many of these different issues.
"Tiredness, muscles and joints aching from Arimidex, fatigue, emotional exhaustion from coping with family and friends' anxiety and being away from home for extended time have all contributed to my lack of interest in sex"  -- Woman, 58 years.
It's important to know there are lots of things that you can try to help you manage the effects of breast cancer and its treatments on your sexual wellbeing.

Managing your concerns

If you do have sexual wellbeing concerns, it can also be beneficial to discuss these with your GP or breast care nurse. They may be able to suggest things you can try and tell you what has worked for other women. As a starting point you may want to get in touch with your GP or breast care nurse. They may also be able to recommend a counsellor, sex therapist or psychologist who can provide further support. You may also like to read more about how to find a sexual wellbeing expert.
Dr Sandra Pertot, a clinical psychologist and sex therapist, spoke to The Beacon in March 2010 about sexual wellbeing issues for women with breast cancer. She told us that many women experience sexual wellbeing changes and that it's important to accept that the feelings and responses you experience are normal and are appropriate for you.
In The Beacon article, Dr Pertot, also gave some tips on managing relationships with partners:
  • Talk to your partner about how you are both feeling - if you are sad about losing your sex drive and the sex life you once had together, tell him so.
  • Tell your partner if what you need is affection, such as a hug, cuddle or massage, but not sex.
  • If you do want sex, be clear about what you do and don't want -- you may not want your breasts touched, for example.
  • Maintaining a loving and supportive relationship with your partner will help your sexual relationship return when you are feeling better.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Kate Jackson Breast Cancer a flash back

THE MOST MOMENTOUS CHANGE IN Kate Jackson's life began early one morning in January 1987, during her fourth season on the hit TV series Scarecrow and Mrs. King. After a phone call informed her that the show's taping was canceled because costar Bruce Boxleitner had the flu, Jackson went back to sleep. When she woke several hours later, "It was out of the blue, but perfectly clear," she recalls. "I sat up in bed and literally said, 'You have to have a mammogram.' " She did, and two days later a biopsy confirmed her vague fears: A minute growth found in her left breast was determined to be malignant. "I was forced to face, squared up, my own mortality," says Jackson. "I had to decide whether I wanted to live or to die. And if you choose life, as I did, it's never the same." For three TV seasons 16 years ago, she was famous as Sabrina Duncan, a girl-next-door gone glamorous and the character critics dubbed the brainiest o

"Hard nipples" - areola or nipple skin

Someone once wrote"... when i get really cold, or get goosebumbs all over my body, the whole things really scrunch up, like, my entire areola scrunches itself up into a wrinkled little mound. it looks really weird and ugly, and i haven't ever seen other people's breasts do it. what is wrong with my areola/nipples??" The answer: Well nothing is wrong. This is what my areola does too. It's a normal reaction to the coldness or to irritation / stimulation. The little muscles in the areola do a similar goosebump thing as your other skin can do. People often call this phenomenon "hard nipples". Also note that skin on areola has less feeling or sensation to it than other areas of your body. If the areola was very sensitive, then breastfeeding would probably be quite uncomfortable because the baby pulls and tugs it! The nipples are sensitive but the sensitivity changes with hormonal changes, such as occur at mestrual cycle or pregnancy. Also this v

The four stages of breast development

In Stage 1 shows the flat breasts of childhood. By Stage 2, breast buds are formed as milk ducts and fat tissue develop. In Stage 3, the breast become round and full, and the areola darkens. Stage 4 shows fully mature breasts. (Illustration by GGS Information Services.) period begins. Usually these signs are accompanied by the appearance of pubic hair and hair under the arms. Once ovulation and  menstruation  begin, the maturing of the breasts begins with the formation of secretory glands at the end of the milk ducts. The breasts and duct system continue to grow and mature with the development of many glands and lobules. The rate at which breasts grow varies significantly and is different for each young woman. Breast development occurs in five stages: Stage One: In preadolescence, the breasts are flat and only the tip of the nipple is raised. Stage Two: Buds appear, breast and nipple are raised, fat tissue begins to form and the areola (dark area of skin that surrounds