Metastatic breast cancer and its treatments can cause sexual side effects and impact your sex life. Fatigue and emotional stress from living with cancer can lower your desire for sex, while anticancer medicines can cause uncomfortable physical side effects, like vaginal dryness, that make sex painful or difficult.
The good news is there are several ways to manage sexual side effects. To learn more, read below.
What Sexual Side Effects Might I Experience?
- Sexuality and Treatment Side Effects Breastcancer.org outlines which metastatic breast cancer treatments can cause sexual side effects, what those side effects are, and how to manage them.
- Living Well With Metastatic Breast Cancer (Video) Dr. Don Dizon speaks to Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) broadly about living with MBC. To hear about sex and intimacy side effects, watch minutes 13:48 to 16:50 and 36:25 to 38:00.
- Sexual Side Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment (Podcast) The Breastcancer.org podcast features gynecologist and metastatic breast cancer advocate Dr. Kelly Shanahan talking about sexual side effects she experienced, and more.
Sexual Side Effects Are Common
- Sex, Intimacy and Metastatic Breast Cancer Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) writes about sex and intimacy issues caused by MBC treatment through the eyes of people who have experienced them.
How Do I Bring These Issues Up with My Care Team?
- Speaking to Your Doctor About Sex Use this worksheet from Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) to help prepare for a conversation with your doctor about sexual side effects.
Last Modified on February 3, 2021