How To Boost Your Sex Drive After Breast Cancer Treatment
You are now living as a cancer survivor and are adjusting to many things. One adjustment may be not feeling physically and emotionally sexy and not having the desire to have sex. But there are ways to change that.
Your breast cancer treatment may have included chemotherapy, medication, radiation, surgery, or all the above. During treatment, many women experience changes in their appearance such as hair loss, breast alteration, or removal, on top of being nauseous and tired. It’s understandable not to feel in a sexual mood.
After breast cancer treatment, it’s very common not to feel sexy and be concerned about the lack of desire to have sex. According to a survey conducted by LIVESTRONG, about 90% of breast cancer survivors had reported concerns about the lack of sexual desire.
Get Back To Intimacy
If you haven’t been intimate with your partner in a while because of breast cancer treatment, it can be difficult just to be ready to bounce back. The first step of intimacy doesn’t have to be the act of sex. Other things can be done to boost sexual desire. Here are a few suggestions to help increase intimacy after breast cancer treatment.
Focus on romance
Intimacy is more than just sex. The act of daily flirting and saying “I love you” is a form of intimacy. If you aren’t ready for sex right now, try other forms of getting close, like kissing, cuddling, hugging, and soft touching, to boost your intimacy. This is a first step in the direction to help you and your partner see each other romantically again.
Try products that relieve vaginal dryness
Breast cancer treatments can cause vaginal dryness in many women, which can be discouraging when it comes to sexual activities. Using vaginal moisturizers daily, either prescription or over-the-counter can help moisturize the tissues in the vagina for long-term relief.
Don’t forget about self-care
It’s easy to find yourself skipping your daily routine of self-care after breast cancer treatment. However, your daily routine of showering, brushing your teeth, combing your hair, putting on a new change of clothes, and exercising are all things that make you feel good and confident about yourself.
Talk with your physician
Don’t feel embarrassed to talk with your physician or oncology care team about the challenges you are having regarding your sex drive after breast cancer treatment. Discuss the challenges of both the emotional and physical changes of intimacy or lack thereof.
Your oncologist may refer you to a therapist who specializes in particular challenges for cancer survivors.
Take it one step at a time
It’s okay if you are not physically ready to rediscover intimacy right away. Take your time. Slowly take steps to build intimacy back up with your partner. Find out what issues are getting in the way of your desiring physical intimacy and address them one by one.
When it comes to boosting your sex drive after breast cancer treatment, there is no one-size-fits-all. Don’t feel like you must rush it. Everybody has a different experience, and you want to do what makes you feel good. Remember, you want to feel pleasure, not pressure.