Sexual Health and Women and Cancer

“It’s important to ask your cancer care team how your
cancer and treatment might affect sex and intimacy.
Ask them what you can expect with your treatment”.1

Umbrella

What may the Sexual Health and Women and Cancer Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Cancer, Sex and Sexuality
  • Sexuality for the Woman With Cancer

Cancer and Sex

How can having cancer and cancer treatment affect sex, sexuality and intimacy?

In How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy. Why Is It Important To Talk About Sex, Intimacy, and Cancer? the American Cancer Society (ACS) explain:

“Studies show that sex, sexuality, and intimacy are just as important to people who have cancer as they are to people who don’t.

Sex and intimacy can help you deal with the emotions that come from having cancer and getting treatment. But cancer and cancer treatment can affect every part of your sexuality, including your:

  • Sex organs
  • Sexual desire (sex drive or libido)
  • Sexual function and well-being
  • Body image”.2

Dyspareunia

What is dyspareunia?

In Women’s Wellness: Sexual Health After Cancer [+ Video] a (United States) Mayo Clinic general internal medicine physician elaborates on:

““Dyspareunia is the medical term for the pain that a lot of women will experience after cancer treatment, especially if their hormones have been affected. The loss of estrogen, specifically, often will result in changes in the vaginal mucosa,” Dr. Thielen explains. “The cells are not able to lubricate like they should, and we lose elasticity of those vaginal walls, too. So subsequently, there can be pain””.3

Talking With Your Cancer Care Team

What is it important to ask your cancer care team?

In How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy. Talking With Your Cancer Care Team About Sexual Side Effects the ACS elaborate on:

“It’s important to ask your cancer care team how your cancer and treatment might affect sex and intimacy. Ask them what you can expect with your treatment. Continue to talk with them about what’s changing with your sexual life as you go through procedures, treatments, and follow-up care”.4

Questions To Ask

What are some questions to ask?

In How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy. Talking With Your Cancer Care Team About Sexual Side Effects. What Questions Should I Ask? the ACS include:


“It’s important to know what to expect. Here is a list of questions to help you start the discussion:

  • Will my treatment (surgery, radiation, chemo, hormone therapy, etc.) affect my sex life? If so, what can I expect?
  • Will the effects last a short time, a long time, or permanently?
  • What can be done about these effects?
  • Can I see a sex therapist or counselor?
  • Are there other treatments that work as well against my cancer but have different side effects?
  • Do you have any information I can read, or can you suggest where to find more information?”5

LGBTQ+ Community

What if a person is lesbian, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) or gender non-conforming?

In How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy. Why Is It Important To Talk About Sex, Intimacy and Cancer. If You Are Part of the LGBTQ+ Community the ACS elaborate on:

“If you are lesbian, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) or gender non-conforming, you may have needs that are not addressed here. It’s very important to talk to your cancer care team and give them information about your sexual orientation and gender identity, including what gender you were at birth, how you describe yourself now, any procedures you’ve had done, or hormone treatments you may have taken or are taking”.6

Partners

How may partners help?

In How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy. For Partners the ACS elaborate on:

“Having a supportive partner can help a person feel more attractive and have a better quality of life during and after cancer treatment. You can show your partner you are there for them by listening as they talk about their feelings and any sexual problems they are having”.7

Health Care Provider

What if a person is not asked about their sexual health concerns?

If a person is not asked about their sexual health concerns, it may be in their best interest to choose to talk to their health care providers about this.

In How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy. Why Is It Important To Talk About Sex, Intimacy and Cancer. Talking With Your Cancer Care Team About Sexual Side Effects the ACS explain:

“If you have concerns about sex or intimacy during or after cancer treatment, you might need to be the one to bring it up with your cancer care team or gynecologist.

Studies show that health professionals don’t always ask or talk about the sexual side effects certain cancer treatments can cause. Don’t assume your doctor or nurse will ask you about sex or intimacy problems. But these issues are still important, even if your health care team doesn’t bring them up”.8

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Sexual Health and Women and Cancer?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Sexual Health and Women and Cancer?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.

New or Updated

  1. Addressing Midlife Sexuality: From “Couplepause” to “Doublepause”
  2. Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
  3. Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
  4. Breast Cancer At the Menopause
  5. Breastcancer.org
  6. British Gynaecological Cancer Society and British Menopause Society Guidelines Management of Menopausal Symptoms Following Treatment of Gynaecological Cancer
  7. Cancer Types
  8. Complementary Medicines and Therapies for Hot Flushes
  9. Complementary Medicines and Therapies: Options for Menopausal Symptoms
  10. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2023 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Changes In Sexual Health After Cancer
  11. Coping With Cancer
  12. Dating and Relationships During and After Cancer
  13. EMAS On-Demand Webinars [European Menopause and Andropause Society] [Multiply Languages]: Menopause In Cancer Survivors: Managing Complex Care
  14. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
  15. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
  16. Gynecological Cancer At the Menopause
  17. Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month 2025 [September, United Kingdom]
  18. Gynaecological Cancers
  19. HRT: Benefits and Risks
  20. Handling Hot Flushes and Night Sweats| Dr Louise Newson
  21. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Vaginal Oestrogen
  22. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Vaginal Oestrogen – About Vaginal Oestrogen
  23. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Vaginal Oestrogen – Common Questions About Vaginal Oestrogen
  24. Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?
  25. Hot Flashes
  26. Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? [+ Video: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause?]
  27. How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy
  28. How Cancer Effects Your Self-Image and Sexuality
  29. How Cancer Surgery Can Affect Sex for Women
  30. How Hormone Therapy, Chemo, and Immunotherapy Can Affect Sex for Women
  31. How Radiation Therapy Can Affect Sex
  32. How To Talk To Your Doctor About Painful Sex
    Sexual Health and Women and Cancer
  33. How Vaginal Hormones Can Transform the Health of Women
  34. International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health
  35. International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health: Find A Provider
  36. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Sexual Wellbeing, Intimacy and Menopause [+ Video: Menopause Is the End of Your Sex Life]
  37. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Supporting Someone Through the Menopause [+ Video: Men Don’t Need To Know About Menopause]
  38. Libido and Testosterone Therapy – Podcast
  39. Maggies.org
  40. Managing Menopause After Cancer
  41. Managing Sexual Side Effects As A Woman With Cancer
  42. Mayo Clinic Minute: Tips From A Gynecological Surgeon on Recovery From Surgery [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  43. Mayo Clinic Q&A Podcast: Cancer Survivorship Needs Are Unique for Each Survivor [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  44. Mayo Clinic Q&A Podcast: Sexual Health After Cancer Treatment [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  45. Menopause
  46. Menopause
    Sexual Health and Women and Cancer
  47. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Menopause Medication Tracker
  48. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
  49. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
  50. Menopause Q&A With Expert Cancer Support Specialists [+ Videos]
  51. Menopause Q&A With Expert Cancer Support Specialists [+ Videos]: How Can I Manage Treatment-Induced Menopause? [Video]
  52. Menopause Ruining Your Sex Life?
  53. Menopause and Sexuality
  54. Menopauseandcancer.org [Menopause and Cancer]
  55. Mymenoplan.org [My Menoplan, United States]
  56. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Herbs At A Glance
  57. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: How Safe Is This Product or Practice?
  58. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Know the Science: How Medications and Supplements Can Interact
  59. National Women’s Health Week [11-17 May 2025]: Navigating the Road to Menopause
    Sexual Health and Women and Cancer
  60. Natural Therapies
  61. Navigating Menopause Together: How Partners Can Help
  62. Navigating Menopause Care Resource Guide
    Black Women’s Menopause
  63. Non-Estrogen Treatments for Menopausal Symptoms
  64. Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
  65. OCCAM Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine [National Cancer Institute, United States]
  66. Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets
  67. Painful Vaginal Sex (Dyspareunia)
  68. Prosayla.com [Supported By International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health]
  69. Resources: Fact Sheets [Multiply Languages]
    Black Women’s Menopause
  70. September Is Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month [United States]
  71. Sex and Sexual Health
  72. Sexual Health During and After Breast Cancer
  73. Sexual Health Issues In Women With Cancer
  74. Sexual Health and Wellbeing and the Menopause: An EMAS Clinical Guide
  75. Sexual Health and Wellbeing
  76. Sexual Side Effects
  77. Sexuality & Cancer
  78. Supplements: What Works, What Doesn’t and the Truth About Menowashing
  79. Understanding Gyn Cancers
  80. Vaginal Dryness After Menopause: How To Treat It?
  81. Vaginal Dryness Alternative Treatments
  82. Videos and Podcasts: How Do I Deal With the Menopause After A Diagnosis of Gynaecological Cancer
  83. Videos and Podcasts: Menopause and Abnormal Bleeding
  84. Webinars: Cancer and Bone Health
  85. Webinars: Lifestyle Medicine
  86. Webinars: Sexual Dysfunctions, Update on Gynae Cancers and Management
  87. Webinars: The Burn, the Itch, the Pain, the Urge: GSM In Women
  88. What Is Cancer?
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  90. Worldcancerday.org [World Cancer Day 04 February 2026]
    Sexual Health and Women and Cancer
  91. World GO Day [World Gynecologic Oncology Day, 20 September]
    Sexual Health and Women and Cancer Sexual Health and Women and Cancer
  92. World Menopause Day 2024: Leaflet for Women – Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy [Multiply Languages]
  93. World Menopause Day 2025 [18 October]
    Sexual Health and Women and Cancer

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted:

Sources

  1. How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy. Talking With Your Cancer Care Team About Sexual Side Effects. Last Revised: 15 April 2025. American Cancer Society https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/sexual-side-effects/how-cancer-affects-sexuality.html Accessed: 12 December 2025
  2. How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy. Why Is It Important To Talk About Sex, Intimacy, and Cancer? Last Revised: 15 April 2025. American Cancer Society https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/sexual-side-effects/how-cancer-affects-sexuality.html Accessed: 12 December 2025
  3. Women’s Wellness: Sexual Health After Cancer Treatment. 11 March 2020. Mayo Clinic https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/womens-wellness-sexual-health-after-cancer-treatment/ Accessed: 12 December 2025
  4. How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy. Talking With Your Cancer Care Team About Sexual Side Effects. Last Revised: 15 April 2025. American Cancer Society https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/sexual-side-effects/how-cancer-affects-sexuality.html Accessed: 12 December 2025
  5. How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy. How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy. Talking With Your Cancer Care Team About Sexual Side Effects. What Questions Should I Ask? Last Revised: 15 April 2025. American Cancer Society https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/sexual-side-effects/how-cancer-affects-sexuality.html Accessed: 12 December 2025
  6. How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy. Why Is It Important To Talk About Sex, Intimacy and Cancer. If You Are Part of the LGBTQ+ Community. Last Revised: 15 April 2025. American Cancer Society https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/sexual-side-effects/how-cancer-affects-sexuality.html Accessed: 12 December 2025
  7. How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy. How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy. Why Is It Important To Talk About Sex, Intimacy and Cancer. Talking With Your Cancer Care Team About Sexual Side Effects. Last Revised: 15 April 2025. American Cancer Society https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/sexual-side-effects/how-cancer-affects-sexuality.html Accessed: 12 December 2025
  8. How Cancer Can Affect Sex and Intimacy. For Partners. Last Revised: 15 April 2025. American Cancer Society https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/sexual-side-effects/how-cancer-affects-sexuality.html Accessed: 12 December 2025
Topic Last Updated: 12 December 2025 – Topic Last Reviewed: 12 December 2025

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