Your sexual health is an important area of your life and should be discussed and talked about during the clinical experience. This can be a difficult topic to start talking about with your health care provider when you feel as though you should only be focusing on your treatments. Treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation or hormonal therapy can affect your sexual functioning.
For men: Issues with erectile dysfunction, low desire/no desire or incontinence issues and body image issues and more can interfere with sexual functioning.
For women: Issues with hormonal/chemotherapy induced menopause or natural menopause, lack of lubrication, low desire /no desire, body image issues and more can interfere with sexual functioning.
It is normal for your sexuality to be overshadowed by being in survival mode during and after active treatment for your medicall illness. There may come a time when you feel ready to resume sexual activity.
I can help both you and your partner through these times of transition with counseling that addresses interventions for problems that are encountered in all aspects of sexual functioning.
I have done presentations on Sex, Intimacy and Self-Esteem as well as Negotiating Sex and Intimacy After a Cancer Diagnosis for Breast Cancer Support Groups and Prostate Cancer Support Groups at hospitals in the St. Paul and Minneapolis area. I am known as "The Sex Lady" because of my willingness to speak on this important issue-an issue that is so often disregarded when someone has a medical illness.
Call for an appointment to discuss what kind of help you are looking for.
- Sexuality is the feelings that we have about ourselves as sexual beings, the ways in which we choose to express these feelings with ourselves and others and the physical capability each of us has to give and experience sexual pleasure.
- You are the expert on your own sexuality.
- “We are all sexual beings.” This simple statement makes the important point that sexuality is part of who we are, not just what we do.
- Sex is not a lifestyle issue; it is a quality of life issue. Because of this, sexual function should be a part of the clinical experience.
- Sex and relationships are important aspects of health.
- Sexual concerns of single, separated, divorced or widowed men and women with cancer (no matter what sexual orientation) are often disregarded .