Many Women With Breast Cancer Struggle With Sexual Health
By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Nov. 16, 2023 -- For many women with breast cancer, struggles with sexual issues becomes a hidden burden, new research shows.
Because most patients don't feel comfortable talking over these issues with a doctor, many turn to online patient-support forums for advice.
The new study found that three-quarters of breast cancer patients admitted to some form of sexual dysfunction, most often vaginal dryness or pain upon penetration.
However, instead of going to physicians for advice, "women with breast cancer are taking the initiative to fill the gap in their care for sexual symptoms by seeking, innovating and sharing solutions amongst themselves," concluded a team led by Christiana von Hippel.
She's a graduate researcher at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in Boston.
In the study, von Hippel's group conducted a survey of 501 adult members of the popular Breastcancer.org online forum community.
Seventy percent said they had remained sexually active at the time they completed the survey. About two-thirds identified as heterosexual, and about two-thirds were partnered.
Forty-seven percent said they'd been very or extremely satisfied with their sex lives prior to cancer treatment, but 44 percent also said they'd experienced a significant worsening of their sex life post-diagnosis.
Vaginal dryness and/or pain upon penetration were the most common issues cited, and 57% of respondents said they'd never discussed the sexual side effects of cancer treatment with a physician.
Instead, many (35%) said they talked over these issues with peers or looked independently for answers.
Common solutions to "pain reduction" included using coconut oil as a lubricant dUring sex or simply trying other positions, von Hippel's group said.
Masturbation and viewing erotica were common suggestions to help enhance sexual arousal, the survey showed, as was a change in "mindset" when it came to sex, part of what the researchers dubbed "emotional coping."
Not everyone was helped by these approaches, however, and the Boston team said in a university news release that physicians need to do more to initiate conversations with patients over matters of sexual health.
The study was published Nov. 15 in the medical journal PLOS ONE.
Sources
- PLOS ONE, news release, Nov. 15, 2023
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted November 2023
Read this next
Tai Chi Can Benefit Breast Cancer Survivors in Many Ways
MONDAY, July 1, 2024 -- Tai Chi appears to improve sleep, and as a result reduces inflammation and boosts the immune systems of breast cancer survivors, a new study says. The...
Kadcyla Boosts Survival in Some Women With Early Breast Cancer
FRIDAY, June 28, 20204 (HealthDay news) -- An immunotherapy/chemotherapy combo drug can help early-stage breast cancer patients remain cancer-free following treatment, a new trial...
Acupuncture Can Ease Side Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment
THURSDAY, June 27, 2024 -- Acupuncture can help breast cancer patients deal with the hot flashes that often accompany hormone therapy, a new clinical trial says. Nearly 2 in 3...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.
