Having sex after chemotherapy is safe in most cases. However, the erotic life of the patient changes radically during cancer treatment. See what can make sexual intercourse difficult after chemotherapy and how to rediscover your sexuality.

It is perfectly normal for you to lose interest in sex after being told you have cancer. Depression, fear for life and a disturbed hormonal balance of the body make the erotic life recede into the background.

Desire decreases even more after starting chemotherapy. Its side effects, such as nausea, weakness, hair loss and weight loss, make it difficult to accept your own body.

But when the sick person starts to feel better, the urge to have sex most often comes back. However, then there are concerns about whether intercourse will be painful or safe. It may turn out that the sensitivity of the sexual organs has changed and it is no longer possible to reach orgasm.

In this situation, you have to re-learn yourself - look for new ways to get pleasure. It can be an erotic touch or a change in your favorite sexual position. To see if you are ready to start intercourse again, check how your body responds to its own touch - what you enjoy most and how you achieve orgasm.

Important

The immune system of a woman after chemotherapy is significantly weakened. Now, even a minor infection can cause serious infection, so it's important to always use a condom.

Some chemotherapy drugs may be contained in semen or vaginal discharge. Also for this reason, you should use condoms until the end of therapy.

Is it safe to have sex after chemotherapy?

After chemotherapy, the immune system is very weak, so it is much easier to get an infection. Consult your doctor if intercourse will increase the risk of infection in your case. Most specialists will reply that if your condition is stable enough to allow you to go to public places, it is not dangerous to have sex with adequate protection.

If your immunity is weak and you are therefore inin hospital, ask your doctor about the risks of even kissing and hugging.

Vaginal dryness after chemotherapy can make it difficult to enjoy sex

Some chemotherapy drugs negatively affect all mucous membranes, including the vagina, leading to frequent irritation and inflammation. In such a situation, even when the woman is aroused, the amount of mucus secreted is negligible.

You can use any of the available moisturizers to make intercourse possible. When choosing it, it is worth following a few rules: it should be tasteless, odorless and water-based, because chemicals can additionally irritate the tissue lining the vagina. You can also use a vitamin E capsule to moisturize the vagina - after puncture, squeeze some vitamin out of it and rub the vagina.

Erotic touch instead of sex

Reluctance to have sexual intercourse is a common problem after chemotherapy. However, treating cancer hardly ever reduces the pleasure of touch. The ingested chemicals do not adversely affect the nerves and muscles. Therefore, if sex is impossible because the vagina is constricted and intercourse is painful, you can try to reach orgasm by asking your partner to caress your nipples, for example.

Early menopause after chemotherapy

Patients treated with chemotherapy often experience symptoms of early menopause: hot flushes, dryness and vaginal narrowing. Your periods become irregular or stop. Spotting may appear after intercourse. Only a medical consultation will explain whether hormone therapy to alleviate the effects of menopause is possible in your case.

Note! Chemotherapy does not rule out pregnancy

Cancer treatment can permanently damage the ovaries, but that does not mean a woman becomes sterile. You should use your chosen method of contraception throughout your chemotherapy treatment, as pregnancy is still possible.

Female sexuality in neoplastic disease. A guide for women and their partners

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Sex problems