Cancer is a life-changing experience in so many ways — including how a person handles their own sexuality. A lot of women, when they’re dealing with cancer treatment, just don’t feel interested in having sex — and that’s OK. Others see little difference in their sexuality and their sex life — and that’s OK too. Just like there’s no one right way to deal with treatment, there’s no one way to think about sex during and after the cancer journey.
“In the setting of treatment, when a woman decides to be sexual again is really her decision,” Dr. Jeanne Carter, a sexual psychologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering, told SurvivorNet. “It’s not uncommon for me to meet with someone in the post-treatment setting, and they’ll describe to me that when they didn’t have hair, they didn’t feel sexy, and that it just wasn’t the right timing for them — which is completely appropriate and OK. I think people don’t need pressure as they’re going through treatment about those issues, and need to be able to talk to their partners about that.”
While some women are able to make their sex lives a priority, many find they simply lack the energy while their body is going through so many changes. Dr. Carter also pointed out that many women, when they’re dealing with these sexual issues, feel a sense of guilt — but she considers guilt a wasted emotion. “Nobody asked for cancer, nobody asked for these changes, but different doesn’t have to mean that it’s bad.”
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Dr. Jeanne Carter is a sexual psychologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Read More
Cancer is a life-changing experience in so many ways — including how a person handles their own sexuality. A lot of women, when they’re dealing with cancer treatment, just don’t feel interested in having sex — and that’s OK. Others see little difference in their sexuality and their sex life — and that’s OK too. Just like there’s no one right way to deal with treatment, there’s no one way to think about sex during and after the cancer journey.
“In the setting of treatment, when a woman decides to be sexual again is really her decision,” Dr. Jeanne Carter, a sexual psychologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering, told SurvivorNet. “It’s not uncommon for me to meet with someone in the post-treatment setting, and they’ll describe to me that when they didn’t have hair, they didn’t feel sexy, and that it just wasn’t the right timing for them — which is completely appropriate and OK. I think people don’t need pressure as they’re going through treatment about those issues, and need to be able to talk to their partners about that.”
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While some women are able to make their sex lives a priority, many find they simply lack the energy while their body is going through so many changes. Dr. Carter also pointed out that many women, when they’re dealing with these sexual issues, feel a sense of guilt — but she considers guilt a wasted emotion. “Nobody asked for cancer, nobody asked for these changes, but different doesn’t have to mean that it’s bad.”
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Dr. Jeanne Carter is a sexual psychologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Read More
