Sexual Health and Women and Cancer

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

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Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

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  42. Mayo Clinic Minute: Tips From A Gynecological Surgeon on Recovery From Surgery [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
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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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