Reclaiming Confidence and Sexuality After Cancer
- Breast cancer survivor Meghan Koziel, diagnosed at 26, emphasizes that women can still feel beautiful, confident, and sexy after treatment, despite physical changes like mastectomies or hormone therapy.
- Confidence through communication: She encourages survivors to openly communicate with partners and not shy away from tools that can help restore intimacy.
- Koziel uses her platform to remind women that regaining sexual confidence is a journey, not an overnight fix, and that education and self-acceptance are key to thriving after cancer.
Koziel tells SurvivorNet, “We are sexual beings. And just because we had cancer doesn’t mean that we can’t still be just as beautiful, just as fun. And just as sexy in the bedroom.”
Koziel’s Breast Cancer Battle
Read More She was just 26 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “I pretty much went through every type of treatment you can go through for breast cancer,” she says. “I went through fertility preservation. I did multiple rounds of chemotherapy. I did radiation, um, multiple reconstructive surgeries post my double mastectomy.” The Pittsburgh native explains her impetus for celebrating sexuality post-cancer. She says, “I started my Instagram [because] feeling sexy after breast cancer is tough. Let’s just think about this. So you have your mastectomies if you choose to go that route. And literally, the main thing is so important just because we might’ve had double mastectomies, had our boobs taken off, um, had our ovaries removed are on anti-hormone therapies that, um, put you into like a sort of menopause or you’re on anti-hormone medications that put you into menopause at the age of 20 or 30.”
How to Reclaim Sexuality After Breast Cancer
Koziel is a role model for what’s possible after cancer, and how you can still continue to thrive, despite physical hardships. She’s also a big advocate for education, communication, and research, all in the name of fostering a healthy sex life after cancer. She says, “Communicate, tell [your partner] what feels good. Find different companies that can actually help your dryness, your pain and your discomfort [during sex].”“Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor for suggestions, try different products, try different things that can help you have fun in the bedroom,” she says. “Don’t be afraid of different lubricants. Don’t be afraid of using CBD. Don’t be afraid of using toys. Women need to know that regaining your sexual confidence is a struggle. It’s not an overnight thing.”
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