|
|
Article: Combatting apprehension, disinterest in sex after breast cancer treatment
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- September 24, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2004 Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
|
For the woman contending with a new diagnosis of breast cancer,
surgery, and possible chemotherapy or radiation, sex is usually the
last thing on her mind. The emphasis is, and should be, on treating
the cancer.
But after the physical scars have healed and the hair has grown
back, many aspects of a woman's sexuality are negatively altered:
Desire for sex can be lower; sex is painful; orgasms can disappear,
and a woman's self-image is damaged, particularly if a breast has
been removed.
Sadly, many cancer survivors feel reluctant to complain about
something as "trivial" as the loss of their sex lives.
Q. I've recently finished treatment for breast cancer but am
unable to have intercourse. Any ...