The article discusses the often-overlooked sexual health concerns of cancer survivors, particularly women with breast cancer. The author shares a personal account of a patient who, after surviving cancer, experiences significant sexual difficulties including painful intercourse, leading to abstinence and emotional strain in her relationship. Despite her physical recovery, the patient struggles with feelings of inadequacy and fear that her sexual discontent may burden her partner. The piece calls attention to the inadequate training oncologists receive regarding sexual health issues and underscores the need for more comprehensive discussions and care.
Feeling tense, I casually mention to my patient that many cancer survivors experience sexual concerns that never get discussed in appointments, so I am just checking in.
The severity of the problem led to abstinence, with implications for her partner, emphasizing the far-reaching impact of cancer on intimate relationships.
Of course, no one articulates this sentiment but, like the air one breathes, you know it exists: gratitude for surviving cancer ought to preclude any expectation of being sexually whole.
Her problems were noted as expected for age and anti-oestrogen treatment, but the emotional toll on her relationship has been profound, highlighting the need for more comprehensive care.
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