Of the many physical and mental side effects from cancer treatment, sexual health is often overlooked. The impact on sexual health can begin at the time of diagnosis and can continue even after breast cancer treatment is completed. Up to 70% of breast cancer patients share experiencing problems with sexual health, which can include vaginal dryness, low libido, pain with sex, or poor body image. Although both patients and healthcare providers acknowledge that sexual health is important, it is not well-studied when and how this information should be discussed during cancer treatment.

Any of the breast cancer treatments can impact sexual health. Surgery can cause pain and impact body image. Radiation can cause significant fatigue, and can change the way the breast feels. Chemotherapy can have so many different side effects, including poor body image from weight loss, and hair loss. Cancer diagnosis itself has a huge impact on mental health, as well as sleep, nutrition and overall sense of self. Lasty, there are many social stressors as well, such as trying to maintain employment, taking care of children or elderly parents, or financially making ends meet. It is really not a surprise that the combination of cancer treatments, coping with cancer diagnosis, and the stressors of home life, overall have a negative impact on sexual health. Most patients shared that the negative consequences on their sexual health, then had a negative result on their mental health and their relationships.

Most patients receive no information at all from their oncology team concerning the potential negative consequences of cancer treatment on their sexual health. If sexual health is discussed, it is often in the context of fertility and menopausal symptoms, but not sexual function and pleasure. It is important for patients to learn about the impact of cancer treatments on their sex life, and how it could impact dating or intimacy with their partner. This information should be discussed at the time of diagnosis or early on in the treatment, and then mentioned again multiple times throughout treatments.

Sexual health is an important part of a woman’s life. The negative side effects of cancer treatments on sexual health should not be forgotten amidst cancer treatment. Providers should counsel patients on the impact of cancer treatment and diagnosis on sexual health, and ways to cope as well as treat side effects.