Whenever the topic of chemotherapy side effects arises, we tend to think of hair loss, weight loss, and how sick the drugs could make us feel. What we don’t often think about is sex.
Maybe that’s because “cancer” and “sex” are two words that seem to cancel each other out when placed together. And, more often than not, sex is the last thing that comes to mind when faced with a cancer diagnosis.
But the simple fact is this: Intimacy is important when going through cancer treatment. Sex and close intimate contact are known to promote feelings of well-being while moving you closer to your partner when treatment gets tough.This is why it’s important to understand both the direct and indirect impact chemotherapy can have on your sex life whether you are 17 or 70.
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Sex and Risk of Infection
People will often ask their healthcare provider when is the right time to have or resume sex with their partner.For most undergoingchemotherapy, sex is not only medically permissible but it’s also encouraged.
In other cases, the opposite is true. People undergoing chemo are at often risk of developingneutropenia, a side effect of treatment that results in a low white blood cell count.These cells are vital for fighting off infection, and, without them, we are at risk for illnesses that might otherwise be harmless.
And that’s where sex can become a problem. Whether vaginal, anal, or oral, each of these activities has the potential to pass infection. Whilecondoms can usually provide protection, it’s important to speak with your healthcare provider to make an informed choice based on your current health and any risk factors you may have.
If your immune system is severely compromised, sexual abstinence may be the only sure way to avoid infection.
Chemo and PregnancyIt is important to always use birth control while undergoing chemotherapy, which may be mutagenic and induce birth defects. Both men and women should protect against pregnancy during chemotherapy.
Chemo and Pregnancy
It is important to always use birth control while undergoing chemotherapy, which may be mutagenic and induce birth defects. Both men and women should protect against pregnancy during chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy Side Effects
Some of the most common complaints:
How to Cope
The good news is that most sexual side effects of chemo will go away after the completion of therapy. Symptoms can vary from person to person, with some being especially hard hit while others have minimal impact.
The main thing to remember is that the absence of sex does not mean the absence of intimacy. Even if you are unable to achieve an erection or endure intercourse, intimate touching and caressing can bolster both your outlook and feelings of self-esteem.
If experiencing any problems with sexual function, either emotional or physical, don’t be shy about expressing them to your partner and healthcare provider. Communication is always key to remaining connected to both yourself and those who can help you.
Managing Expectations About Chemotherapy and Sex
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kelvin JF, Steed R, Jarrett J.Discussing safe sexual practices during cancer treatment.Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2014;18(4):449-453. doi:10.1188/14.CJON.449-453Reese JB, Bober SL, Daly MB.Talking about women’s sexual health after cancer: Why is it so hard to move the needle?.Cancer. 2017;123(24):4757-4763. doi:10.1002/cncr.31084Ba Y, Shi Y, Jiang W, et al.Current management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in adults: key points and new challenges: committee of neoplastic supportive-care (Cons), china anti-cancer association committee of clinical chemotherapy, china anti-cancer association.Cancer Biol Med. 2020;17(4):896-909. doi: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2020.0069American Cancer Society.How hormone therapy and chemo can affect the sex life of females with cancer.Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Sex and your cancer treatment.Schover LR, van der Kaaij M, van Dorst E, Creutzberg C, Huyghe E, Kiserud CE.Sexual dysfunction and infertility as late effects of cancer treatment.EJC Suppl. 2014;12(1):41-53. doi:10.1016/j.ejcsup.2014.03.004Madan R, Dracham CB, Khosla D, Goyal S, Yadav AK.Erectile dysfunction and cancer: current perspective.Radiat Oncol J. 2020;38(4):217-225. doi:10.3857/roj.2020.00332American Cancer Society.How cancer can affect erections.Lester J, Pahouja G, Andersen B, Lustberg M.Atrophic vaginitis in breast cancer survivors: a difficult survivorship issue.J Pers Med. 2015;5(2):50-66. doi:10.3390/jpm5020050Chatsiproios D, Schmidts-Winkler IM, König L, Masur C, Abels C.Topical treatment of vaginal dryness with a non-hormonal cream in women undergoing breast cancer treatment - an open prospective multicenter study.PLoS One. 2019;14(1):e0210967. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0210967Teoh F, Pavelka N.How chemotherapy increases the risk of systemic candidiasis in cancer patients: current paradigm and future directions.Pathogens. 2016;5(1):6. doi:10.3390/pathogens5010006Aribi Al-Zoobaee FW, Yee Shen L, Veettil SK, Gopinath D, Maharajan MK, Kunnath Menon R.Antiviral agents for the prevention and treatment of herpes simplex virus type-1 infection in clinical oncology: a network meta-analysis.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(23):8891. doi:10.3390/ijerph17238891American Cancer Society.How cancer and cancer treatment can affect sexuality.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kelvin JF, Steed R, Jarrett J.Discussing safe sexual practices during cancer treatment.Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2014;18(4):449-453. doi:10.1188/14.CJON.449-453Reese JB, Bober SL, Daly MB.Talking about women’s sexual health after cancer: Why is it so hard to move the needle?.Cancer. 2017;123(24):4757-4763. doi:10.1002/cncr.31084Ba Y, Shi Y, Jiang W, et al.Current management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in adults: key points and new challenges: committee of neoplastic supportive-care (Cons), china anti-cancer association committee of clinical chemotherapy, china anti-cancer association.Cancer Biol Med. 2020;17(4):896-909. doi: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2020.0069American Cancer Society.How hormone therapy and chemo can affect the sex life of females with cancer.Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Sex and your cancer treatment.Schover LR, van der Kaaij M, van Dorst E, Creutzberg C, Huyghe E, Kiserud CE.Sexual dysfunction and infertility as late effects of cancer treatment.EJC Suppl. 2014;12(1):41-53. doi:10.1016/j.ejcsup.2014.03.004Madan R, Dracham CB, Khosla D, Goyal S, Yadav AK.Erectile dysfunction and cancer: current perspective.Radiat Oncol J. 2020;38(4):217-225. doi:10.3857/roj.2020.00332American Cancer Society.How cancer can affect erections.Lester J, Pahouja G, Andersen B, Lustberg M.Atrophic vaginitis in breast cancer survivors: a difficult survivorship issue.J Pers Med. 2015;5(2):50-66. doi:10.3390/jpm5020050Chatsiproios D, Schmidts-Winkler IM, König L, Masur C, Abels C.Topical treatment of vaginal dryness with a non-hormonal cream in women undergoing breast cancer treatment - an open prospective multicenter study.PLoS One. 2019;14(1):e0210967. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0210967Teoh F, Pavelka N.How chemotherapy increases the risk of systemic candidiasis in cancer patients: current paradigm and future directions.Pathogens. 2016;5(1):6. doi:10.3390/pathogens5010006Aribi Al-Zoobaee FW, Yee Shen L, Veettil SK, Gopinath D, Maharajan MK, Kunnath Menon R.Antiviral agents for the prevention and treatment of herpes simplex virus type-1 infection in clinical oncology: a network meta-analysis.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(23):8891. doi:10.3390/ijerph17238891American Cancer Society.How cancer and cancer treatment can affect sexuality.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Kelvin JF, Steed R, Jarrett J.Discussing safe sexual practices during cancer treatment.Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2014;18(4):449-453. doi:10.1188/14.CJON.449-453Reese JB, Bober SL, Daly MB.Talking about women’s sexual health after cancer: Why is it so hard to move the needle?.Cancer. 2017;123(24):4757-4763. doi:10.1002/cncr.31084Ba Y, Shi Y, Jiang W, et al.Current management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in adults: key points and new challenges: committee of neoplastic supportive-care (Cons), china anti-cancer association committee of clinical chemotherapy, china anti-cancer association.Cancer Biol Med. 2020;17(4):896-909. doi: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2020.0069American Cancer Society.How hormone therapy and chemo can affect the sex life of females with cancer.Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Sex and your cancer treatment.Schover LR, van der Kaaij M, van Dorst E, Creutzberg C, Huyghe E, Kiserud CE.Sexual dysfunction and infertility as late effects of cancer treatment.EJC Suppl. 2014;12(1):41-53. doi:10.1016/j.ejcsup.2014.03.004Madan R, Dracham CB, Khosla D, Goyal S, Yadav AK.Erectile dysfunction and cancer: current perspective.Radiat Oncol J. 2020;38(4):217-225. doi:10.3857/roj.2020.00332American Cancer Society.How cancer can affect erections.Lester J, Pahouja G, Andersen B, Lustberg M.Atrophic vaginitis in breast cancer survivors: a difficult survivorship issue.J Pers Med. 2015;5(2):50-66. doi:10.3390/jpm5020050Chatsiproios D, Schmidts-Winkler IM, König L, Masur C, Abels C.Topical treatment of vaginal dryness with a non-hormonal cream in women undergoing breast cancer treatment - an open prospective multicenter study.PLoS One. 2019;14(1):e0210967. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0210967Teoh F, Pavelka N.How chemotherapy increases the risk of systemic candidiasis in cancer patients: current paradigm and future directions.Pathogens. 2016;5(1):6. doi:10.3390/pathogens5010006Aribi Al-Zoobaee FW, Yee Shen L, Veettil SK, Gopinath D, Maharajan MK, Kunnath Menon R.Antiviral agents for the prevention and treatment of herpes simplex virus type-1 infection in clinical oncology: a network meta-analysis.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(23):8891. doi:10.3390/ijerph17238891American Cancer Society.How cancer and cancer treatment can affect sexuality.
Kelvin JF, Steed R, Jarrett J.Discussing safe sexual practices during cancer treatment.Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2014;18(4):449-453. doi:10.1188/14.CJON.449-453
Reese JB, Bober SL, Daly MB.Talking about women’s sexual health after cancer: Why is it so hard to move the needle?.Cancer. 2017;123(24):4757-4763. doi:10.1002/cncr.31084
Ba Y, Shi Y, Jiang W, et al.Current management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in adults: key points and new challenges: committee of neoplastic supportive-care (Cons), china anti-cancer association committee of clinical chemotherapy, china anti-cancer association.Cancer Biol Med. 2020;17(4):896-909. doi: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2020.0069
American Cancer Society.How hormone therapy and chemo can affect the sex life of females with cancer.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Sex and your cancer treatment.
Schover LR, van der Kaaij M, van Dorst E, Creutzberg C, Huyghe E, Kiserud CE.Sexual dysfunction and infertility as late effects of cancer treatment.EJC Suppl. 2014;12(1):41-53. doi:10.1016/j.ejcsup.2014.03.004
Madan R, Dracham CB, Khosla D, Goyal S, Yadav AK.Erectile dysfunction and cancer: current perspective.Radiat Oncol J. 2020;38(4):217-225. doi:10.3857/roj.2020.00332
American Cancer Society.How cancer can affect erections.
Lester J, Pahouja G, Andersen B, Lustberg M.Atrophic vaginitis in breast cancer survivors: a difficult survivorship issue.J Pers Med. 2015;5(2):50-66. doi:10.3390/jpm5020050
Chatsiproios D, Schmidts-Winkler IM, König L, Masur C, Abels C.Topical treatment of vaginal dryness with a non-hormonal cream in women undergoing breast cancer treatment - an open prospective multicenter study.PLoS One. 2019;14(1):e0210967. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0210967
Teoh F, Pavelka N.How chemotherapy increases the risk of systemic candidiasis in cancer patients: current paradigm and future directions.Pathogens. 2016;5(1):6. doi:10.3390/pathogens5010006
Aribi Al-Zoobaee FW, Yee Shen L, Veettil SK, Gopinath D, Maharajan MK, Kunnath Menon R.Antiviral agents for the prevention and treatment of herpes simplex virus type-1 infection in clinical oncology: a network meta-analysis.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(23):8891. doi:10.3390/ijerph17238891
American Cancer Society.How cancer and cancer treatment can affect sexuality.
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