Sexual Function Problems Linked To Surviving Breast Cancer

Sexual Function Problems Linked To Surviving Breast CancerSome women have reported experiencing sexual problems after surviving breast cancer, according to survey results published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Those who completed the questionnaire explained their sexual experiences after approximately two years after they were diagnosed and had completed their chemotherapy treatment.

According to the survey results, more than 80 percent of the participants stated their sex life was good prior to developing breast cancer. However, approximately 70 percent of women aged 70 and younger who were cancer-free stated that sex wasn’t as satisfying, and they experienced sexual function problems.

The researchers discovered that the most common reasons for issues concerning sex were caused by body image insecurities and patients who had already gone through menopause. Furthermore, if women were taking hormone replacement supplements, which can prevent the disease from returning, the prescriptions could alter their interest in sex.

Mary Panjari, lead-author of the study, stated that “women who have been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer still require support to maintain health and well-being after breast cancer.” She concluded that “as women now remain on [hormone replacement treatments] for longer periods, sexual function problems are likely to become more common amongst breast cancer survivors.”

In 2006, a total of 191,410 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, of this group, more than 40,000 patients died from the disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.