It’s startling when you hear the figures of how many women reported having problems having sex, or expressed having definite dips in their pleasure and joy of having sex, after they were treated for invasive breast cancer. The number is around 70%, according to one study that looked at women who had invasive breast cancer and were treated successfully and went into remission. The women interviewed also had romantic partners.
Around 70% acknowledged that their sex lives had taken a turn for the worse after they underwent breast cancer treatment. One of the main reasons cited was vaginal dryness, which can put a damper on sex for women because it can be uncomfortable or even painful. It also prevents many women from achieving a full orgasm, because lubrication is often needed to achieve a full orgasm.
Us women have very delicate sexual organs, and if something is a little off, then our delight in the sexual experience can really be taken away or severely compromised. Although this study was from a sample group of breast cancer survivors, the sad thing is that it may be safe to say that this was a fairly representative example of how other breast cancer survivors feel after they’ve been treated.
Women who took certain drugs during their breast cancer treatment reported more dissatisfaction with their sex lives than the women who did not take these certain types of drugs, which were usually some sort of hormone disruptor. These drugs could lead to a lower libido since they mess with hormones, and they could also lead to vaginal dryness, since hormones control much of the sexual function of the organs.
Another alarming fact, which I did not know about until I had read this, was that chemotherapy can actually push the body into menopause. So, these women also may be experiencing an induced menopause, which is often accompanied by lack of libido as well as vaginal dryness.
