Showing posts with label Vaginal Dryness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vaginal Dryness. Show all posts
Thursday, 21 March 2013
The Four Forms of Sexual Dysfunction
Jasmine Starr, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Sexual dysfunctions is the inability or impaired ability to give or experience sexual gratification. Sexual dysfunctions affect both men and women. Many of us will experience some type of sexual dysfunction at one point or another, but there is a large number of men and women who are severely troubled with sexual dysfunctions. Sexual dysfunctions can be treated through behavioral or biological therapy. Sexual dysfunction is grouped into four main categories. They are Sexual desire disorders, sexual arousal disorders, orgasmic disorders, and sexual pain disorders.
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Sexuality and Breast Cancer Treatment
How Breast Cancer Treatment Can Affect Your Sexuality and Sex Life
By Cory Silverberg, About.com Guide
Updated September 28, 2010
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
There are many different treatments for breast cancer and each of them can have multiple effects on your sexuality in general and your sex life in particular. But sexuality and breast cancer are not fundamentally opposed to each other, and increasingly the medical system is considering, at least a little bit, the sexual side effects of various treatments for breast cancer. Unfortunately talking about sex is still something most health care professionals are not comfortable doing, and you'll likely have to ask if you want to know what to expect from your specific course of treatment for breast cancer. Also, because the medical model focuses almost exclusively on sexual functioning, it is left to you (and partners, if you have them) to really think about the big picture ways that treatment for breast cancer is affecting your sexuality, and how you'd like to deal with that.
You get to choose how much or how little sex matters at any given time in your life. If sexuality feels like the last thing you want to deal with right now, that's okay. If it's the first, that's okay too. Because most of us carry some shame about sex to begin with, it can feel easier to ignore it. But just as sexuality can be a site of shame and pain, it can also make us feel wonderful about ourselves and our bodies, and can be a source of strength when dealing with something like breast cancer treatment.
Every experience is going to be unique, but some of the predictable ways that breast cancer treatment can affect your sexuality and your sex life include:
Fatigue : You may find yourself more often, and more easily, tired. This may be the effect of medications and/or the rigors of treatment. Waiting around is a big part of most medical treatments, and waiting can be exhausting. Feeling too tired to have sex, or even think about sex, is common and understandable. Obviously this can result in having less sex, but it can also have a secondary effect since having sex is, for many of us, a time when we feel connected to our bodies and to our partners, and when we go for long periods without it, we can easily feel less desirable, less desired, and less connected.
Pain : Treatments themselves may cause pain. Pain may lead you to not want sex, or not be sure how to have sex without causing yourself more pain. Treatments may also lead to changes in your body that make certain kinds of sex painful. For example reduced vaginal lubrication is a common side effect of some breast cancer treatments, and without addressing the issue it can mean that intercourse is too painful to engage in.
Changed Body, Changed Body Image : Most breast cancer treatments change your body in one way or another. Changes may be visible to the world (e.g. surgery to remove parts of your body, losing your hair as a result of chemotherapy) or they may not be visible to others. In either case these changes can feel sudden and extreme, and it takes time to catch up. Unlike changes that happen as we age, with breast cancer treatment are bodies are changed by others, sometimes in ways we weren't fully prepared for. Or even if we are, it can still feel like something that's being done to us, without our choice. This element of feeling as if our body is being poked, prodded, and altered, may bring back memories of other times we felt as if our bodies, or sexuality, was being controlled by others.
If you have a partner they can also be affected by the ways your body is changing. They may have fears about causing you physical pain, or making a situation worse, or simply reminding you of the breast cancer with their desire to touch you. They may feel as if they knew how to touch you before, but now they are starting from scratch, and fearful of knowing the right way to touch.
Change in Sensations : Scarring from surgery can result in post-operative pain, but it may also result in temporary or permanent changes in the sensitivity of parts of your body that were previously sites of sexual pleasure. When these changes are so sudden we can be left feeling like sexual pleasure is lost to us for good. In truth what's often required is exploration to discover new places to feel pleasure.
Reduced Desire : All of the above, particularly fatigue and pain can not only have an effect on what sex feels like, but on your desire to have sex in the first place. Additionally, breast cancer treatments may result in changes in hormones which are involved in sexual desire, and leave you feeling less interested in sex. While there are no easy answers to dealing with reduced sexual desire, if you know you'd like to have more interest in sex, or more sex itself, there are ways to begin to address it.
What You Can Do
We like to believe we can do things on our own, particularly private things that we're raised to be embarrassed about, like having sex or going to the bathroom. Dealing with breast cancer treatment and trying to lessen the negative sexual effects really does require some help. You'll need to get at least one of your health care providers on board. Someone who is willing to talk to you about sexual side effects of treatments, and who ideally is open to adjusting treatments when possible to reduce the negative sexual effects.
If you have a partner, it helps if they can be in on some of those conversations and at least have a sense of what to expect. You need to take things at your pace, but if you have a partner you need to let them in the loop somewhere, even if it's only as far as saying that you'll share more when you're ready. Partners can easily blame themselves or feel like you're leaving them behind, at the very time when you may be feeling the same. So keeping communication as open as possible is key.
Fatigue isn't something that can avoided, but realizing that it's not "you" but rather what you're dealing with that is leading to a reduced interest in sex can help. It's easy to take responsibility and think that it's our fault. It's also easy for partners to take the blame, or interpret a lack of interest as sexual rejection. Simply naming fatigue and the causes of it can be helpful. Beyond that, if having sex is something that's important, you can think about timing a sex date to the time of day when you feel most awake. You may have always been a sex-at-night person, but now may be the time to explore the wonders of morning sex.
If you're experiencing significant and/or prolonged pain, know that it's something you can talk with your doctor about, and even though it might feel embarrassing at first, remember that wanting to have sex is a completely legitimate reason for wanting to find out how you might be able to manage your pain. And there are some solutions to reducing pain during sex play. With some pain, like that caused by vaginal dryness, there can be relatively easy solutions, such as using a personal lubricant if you want to have vaginal intercourse. Other times it may be a question of finding the right sex position to reduce and avoid pain. The place you're receiving treatment may have resources other than medication (e.g. yoga, meditation) that some people find helps in managing pain and, if not reducing it, at least reducing the extent to which it's affecting something like your sexuality.
Changes in physical sensation and sensitivity as well as changes in body image offer an opportunity to explore your body anew. It isn't that your body is fundamentally different, although it has changed. Ignoring those changes and just hoping you can keep things going as they were won't end as well as trying to discover sexual pleasure in your body as it is. Whether or not masturbation was a regular part of your sex life before breast cancer treatment, if you're interested in being sexual and having sex, sex educators would say that touching yourself is the best place to start. If you are experiencing your body as changed (on the outside, on the inside, or both) you will need to explore your new body and how it responds to touch. Places that used to feel good may not feel as good, and may find new areas of sexual sensitivity that you hadn't discovered before. Give yourself, and if you have a partner, your partner, the right to not somehow magically know everything about your body during treatment. For some people this can evoke an earlier time in life when they were discovering their sexual selves for the very first time. This becomes an opportunity to explore the many different kinds of sex beyond intercourse, something you may not have ever done before, but which can bring many benefits in the end.
If you are experiencing less desire for sex than you had in the past, remember that it's both predictable and completely reasonable. If you're okay with your lack of desire, don't make it into a problem based on some idea of what healthy sex should be. Healthy sex is staying tuned into your own experience and body. A reduction in desire during treatment does not mean that it's permanent. If you're in a relationship and this is a concern, agree to check in with each other at specific times (e.g. three weeks from now, two months from now, etc…). If you have reduced desire and you'd like to do something about it, certainly one place to start is by talking. Talk with your partner, talk with your health care providers, find out if there's something in your treatment that is known to affect desire, and whether or not there are alternatives. Expanding your definitions of what sex is can also be hugely helpful (although it's a lot easier said than done). Often times we feel stuck because we have a narrow idea of what real sex is.
gotquestions http://sexuality.about.com/od/Cancer-and-Sexuality/a/breast-cancer-treatment-and-sexuality.htm
You get to choose how much or how little sex matters at any given time in your life. If sexuality feels like the last thing you want to deal with right now, that's okay. If it's the first, that's okay too. Because most of us carry some shame about sex to begin with, it can feel easier to ignore it. But just as sexuality can be a site of shame and pain, it can also make us feel wonderful about ourselves and our bodies, and can be a source of strength when dealing with something like breast cancer treatment.
Every experience is going to be unique, but some of the predictable ways that breast cancer treatment can affect your sexuality and your sex life include:
Fatigue : You may find yourself more often, and more easily, tired. This may be the effect of medications and/or the rigors of treatment. Waiting around is a big part of most medical treatments, and waiting can be exhausting. Feeling too tired to have sex, or even think about sex, is common and understandable. Obviously this can result in having less sex, but it can also have a secondary effect since having sex is, for many of us, a time when we feel connected to our bodies and to our partners, and when we go for long periods without it, we can easily feel less desirable, less desired, and less connected.
Pain : Treatments themselves may cause pain. Pain may lead you to not want sex, or not be sure how to have sex without causing yourself more pain. Treatments may also lead to changes in your body that make certain kinds of sex painful. For example reduced vaginal lubrication is a common side effect of some breast cancer treatments, and without addressing the issue it can mean that intercourse is too painful to engage in.
Changed Body, Changed Body Image : Most breast cancer treatments change your body in one way or another. Changes may be visible to the world (e.g. surgery to remove parts of your body, losing your hair as a result of chemotherapy) or they may not be visible to others. In either case these changes can feel sudden and extreme, and it takes time to catch up. Unlike changes that happen as we age, with breast cancer treatment are bodies are changed by others, sometimes in ways we weren't fully prepared for. Or even if we are, it can still feel like something that's being done to us, without our choice. This element of feeling as if our body is being poked, prodded, and altered, may bring back memories of other times we felt as if our bodies, or sexuality, was being controlled by others.
If you have a partner they can also be affected by the ways your body is changing. They may have fears about causing you physical pain, or making a situation worse, or simply reminding you of the breast cancer with their desire to touch you. They may feel as if they knew how to touch you before, but now they are starting from scratch, and fearful of knowing the right way to touch.
Change in Sensations : Scarring from surgery can result in post-operative pain, but it may also result in temporary or permanent changes in the sensitivity of parts of your body that were previously sites of sexual pleasure. When these changes are so sudden we can be left feeling like sexual pleasure is lost to us for good. In truth what's often required is exploration to discover new places to feel pleasure.
Reduced Desire : All of the above, particularly fatigue and pain can not only have an effect on what sex feels like, but on your desire to have sex in the first place. Additionally, breast cancer treatments may result in changes in hormones which are involved in sexual desire, and leave you feeling less interested in sex. While there are no easy answers to dealing with reduced sexual desire, if you know you'd like to have more interest in sex, or more sex itself, there are ways to begin to address it.
What You Can Do
We like to believe we can do things on our own, particularly private things that we're raised to be embarrassed about, like having sex or going to the bathroom. Dealing with breast cancer treatment and trying to lessen the negative sexual effects really does require some help. You'll need to get at least one of your health care providers on board. Someone who is willing to talk to you about sexual side effects of treatments, and who ideally is open to adjusting treatments when possible to reduce the negative sexual effects.
If you have a partner, it helps if they can be in on some of those conversations and at least have a sense of what to expect. You need to take things at your pace, but if you have a partner you need to let them in the loop somewhere, even if it's only as far as saying that you'll share more when you're ready. Partners can easily blame themselves or feel like you're leaving them behind, at the very time when you may be feeling the same. So keeping communication as open as possible is key.
Fatigue isn't something that can avoided, but realizing that it's not "you" but rather what you're dealing with that is leading to a reduced interest in sex can help. It's easy to take responsibility and think that it's our fault. It's also easy for partners to take the blame, or interpret a lack of interest as sexual rejection. Simply naming fatigue and the causes of it can be helpful. Beyond that, if having sex is something that's important, you can think about timing a sex date to the time of day when you feel most awake. You may have always been a sex-at-night person, but now may be the time to explore the wonders of morning sex.
If you're experiencing significant and/or prolonged pain, know that it's something you can talk with your doctor about, and even though it might feel embarrassing at first, remember that wanting to have sex is a completely legitimate reason for wanting to find out how you might be able to manage your pain. And there are some solutions to reducing pain during sex play. With some pain, like that caused by vaginal dryness, there can be relatively easy solutions, such as using a personal lubricant if you want to have vaginal intercourse. Other times it may be a question of finding the right sex position to reduce and avoid pain. The place you're receiving treatment may have resources other than medication (e.g. yoga, meditation) that some people find helps in managing pain and, if not reducing it, at least reducing the extent to which it's affecting something like your sexuality.
Changes in physical sensation and sensitivity as well as changes in body image offer an opportunity to explore your body anew. It isn't that your body is fundamentally different, although it has changed. Ignoring those changes and just hoping you can keep things going as they were won't end as well as trying to discover sexual pleasure in your body as it is. Whether or not masturbation was a regular part of your sex life before breast cancer treatment, if you're interested in being sexual and having sex, sex educators would say that touching yourself is the best place to start. If you are experiencing your body as changed (on the outside, on the inside, or both) you will need to explore your new body and how it responds to touch. Places that used to feel good may not feel as good, and may find new areas of sexual sensitivity that you hadn't discovered before. Give yourself, and if you have a partner, your partner, the right to not somehow magically know everything about your body during treatment. For some people this can evoke an earlier time in life when they were discovering their sexual selves for the very first time. This becomes an opportunity to explore the many different kinds of sex beyond intercourse, something you may not have ever done before, but which can bring many benefits in the end.
If you are experiencing less desire for sex than you had in the past, remember that it's both predictable and completely reasonable. If you're okay with your lack of desire, don't make it into a problem based on some idea of what healthy sex should be. Healthy sex is staying tuned into your own experience and body. A reduction in desire during treatment does not mean that it's permanent. If you're in a relationship and this is a concern, agree to check in with each other at specific times (e.g. three weeks from now, two months from now, etc…). If you have reduced desire and you'd like to do something about it, certainly one place to start is by talking. Talk with your partner, talk with your health care providers, find out if there's something in your treatment that is known to affect desire, and whether or not there are alternatives. Expanding your definitions of what sex is can also be hugely helpful (although it's a lot easier said than done). Often times we feel stuck because we have a narrow idea of what real sex is.
gotquestions http://sexuality.about.com/od/Cancer-and-Sexuality/a/breast-cancer-treatment-and-sexuality.htm
The Sexual Side Effects of Chemotherapy
How Treatment May Affect Your Sex Life...and What You Can Do About It
When people hear of chemotherapy side effects, they automatically think of things like hair loss and nausea -- not sex. Unfortunately, chemotherapy can affect your sex life during treatment, both directly and indirectly.
You may think that sex will be the last thing on your mind while going through treatment, but it shouldn't be. Intimacy can often bring higher levels of self esteem and make you feel closer to your partner during the rough times of treatment. Treatment often brings feelings of being unattractive because of hair loss and changes in weight (either gain or loss). Many psychologists agree that maintaining a normal sex life has many advantages while going through cancer treatment.
Is Sex Allowed While Going Through Chemotherapy?
Discussing with your doctor whether sex is safe is essential before resuming or maintaining a sexual relationship with your partner. For most people undergoing chemotherapy treatment, sex is medically permissible, even encouraged by their doctors. However, in some cases, sex can do more harm than good.
People undergoing chemotherapy are at risk of developing neutropenia, a side effect of treatment that results in a low white blood cell count. These white blood cells are vital for fighting off infections in the body. When the count is low, your body has less resistance to infection, which can lead to prolonged illness and possible hospital stays. Sex, including vaginal, anal, and oral sex, are all pathways for infection to enter the body.
Sexual Side Effects that Can Occur During Treatment
Loss of Libido
Not feeling "in the mood" can be expected from both men and women who are going through treatment. Chemotherapy often leaves you exhausted by its side effects, and with little time or desire for sex. The related affects on self esteem also play a role.
Erectile dysfunction, or impotence, is a condition in which a man is unable to achieve or keep an erection. Some chemotherapy drugs may directly cause impotence in men, but it can also be a result of the emotional stress caused by treatment. The good news is that this is usually temporary and goes away after treatment.
For women, some types of chemotherapy can cause vaginal dryness, a condition where no vaginal lubrication is created (even when a woman is aroused). This can lead to painful, irritating sex. Using a water based lubricant, such as K-Y jelly, can make sex more comfortable. Be sure to consult with your doctor before using any type of over-the-counter medications.
Vaginal infections are common in women who are undergoing chemotherapy, especially if they are taking antibiotics or steroids. The infections affect the lining of the vagina, causing pain, burning and irritation during sex. Symptoms can include vaginal itchiness, burning, and a white vaginal discharge.
If you have suffered from genital warts or herpes flare-ups in the past, you may notice they are more frequent during chemotherapy. Chemotherapy compromises your immune system, making it more vulnerable to the effects of viral infections such as HPV and HSV. Some people who have never experienced an outbreak or symptoms may do so for the first time during chemotherapy because of this. What You Can Do About Sexual Side Effects of Chemotherapy
The good news is that most sexual side effects of chemotherapy go way after treatment. If you are experiencing sexual side effects, talk to your doctor. Trust me, you will not be the first or last to experience sexual problems during treatment. Staying intimate during treatment is important, and doctors realize this, so don't be shy about expressing your concerns.
Communication with your partner is essential. It may be difficult for some men to admit a side effect such as erectile dysfunction, but letting your partner know can only help the relationship.
Sources:
Effects of Cancer Treatment on Male Sexuality. Treatment Topics and Resources. American Cancer Society. Accessed September 15, 2008.
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MIT/content/MIT_7_2x_Cancer_Treatments_Effects_On_Male_Sexuality.asp?sitearea=MIT
Frequently Asked Questions. Treatment Topics and Resources. American Cancer Society. Accessed September 18, 2008.
By Lisa Fayed, About.com Guide
Updated November 08, 2010
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
You may think that sex will be the last thing on your mind while going through treatment, but it shouldn't be. Intimacy can often bring higher levels of self esteem and make you feel closer to your partner during the rough times of treatment. Treatment often brings feelings of being unattractive because of hair loss and changes in weight (either gain or loss). Many psychologists agree that maintaining a normal sex life has many advantages while going through cancer treatment.
Is Sex Allowed While Going Through Chemotherapy?
Discussing with your doctor whether sex is safe is essential before resuming or maintaining a sexual relationship with your partner. For most people undergoing chemotherapy treatment, sex is medically permissible, even encouraged by their doctors. However, in some cases, sex can do more harm than good.
People undergoing chemotherapy are at risk of developing neutropenia, a side effect of treatment that results in a low white blood cell count. These white blood cells are vital for fighting off infections in the body. When the count is low, your body has less resistance to infection, which can lead to prolonged illness and possible hospital stays. Sex, including vaginal, anal, and oral sex, are all pathways for infection to enter the body.
Sexual Side Effects that Can Occur During Treatment
Loss of Libido
Not feeling "in the mood" can be expected from both men and women who are going through treatment. Chemotherapy often leaves you exhausted by its side effects, and with little time or desire for sex. The related affects on self esteem also play a role.
- Dealing with Difference in Sex Drives
- Increasing Sexual Intimacy Through Touch
- How to Have Sex Without Intercourse
Erectile dysfunction, or impotence, is a condition in which a man is unable to achieve or keep an erection. Some chemotherapy drugs may directly cause impotence in men, but it can also be a result of the emotional stress caused by treatment. The good news is that this is usually temporary and goes away after treatment.
- What is Erectile Dysfunction?
- Drugs that May Cause Impotence
- Natural Treatments for Erectile Dysfunction
For women, some types of chemotherapy can cause vaginal dryness, a condition where no vaginal lubrication is created (even when a woman is aroused). This can lead to painful, irritating sex. Using a water based lubricant, such as K-Y jelly, can make sex more comfortable. Be sure to consult with your doctor before using any type of over-the-counter medications.
- Water Based Lubricants: Which are Best?
- Treatments for Vaginal Dryness
- Medications that Cause Vaginal Dryness
Vaginal infections are common in women who are undergoing chemotherapy, especially if they are taking antibiotics or steroids. The infections affect the lining of the vagina, causing pain, burning and irritation during sex. Symptoms can include vaginal itchiness, burning, and a white vaginal discharge.
- What are Vaginal Yeast Infections?
- Symptoms of Vaginal Yeast Infections
- 12 Ways to Prevent Vaginal Infections
If you have suffered from genital warts or herpes flare-ups in the past, you may notice they are more frequent during chemotherapy. Chemotherapy compromises your immune system, making it more vulnerable to the effects of viral infections such as HPV and HSV. Some people who have never experienced an outbreak or symptoms may do so for the first time during chemotherapy because of this. What You Can Do About Sexual Side Effects of Chemotherapy
The good news is that most sexual side effects of chemotherapy go way after treatment. If you are experiencing sexual side effects, talk to your doctor. Trust me, you will not be the first or last to experience sexual problems during treatment. Staying intimate during treatment is important, and doctors realize this, so don't be shy about expressing your concerns.
Communication with your partner is essential. It may be difficult for some men to admit a side effect such as erectile dysfunction, but letting your partner know can only help the relationship.
Sources:
Effects of Cancer Treatment on Male Sexuality. Treatment Topics and Resources. American Cancer Society. Accessed September 15, 2008.
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MIT/content/MIT_7_2x_Cancer_Treatments_Effects_On_Male_Sexuality.asp?sitearea=MIT
Frequently Asked Questions. Treatment Topics and Resources. American Cancer Society. Accessed September 18, 2008.
gotquestions http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MIT/content/MIT_7_2X_Frequently_Asked_Questions.asp
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Do Natural Sex Aids Work?
By Rosemary Black
Reviewed by QualityHealth's Medical Advisory Board
If your libido seems to be waning and you're just not as interested in sex as you used to be, you may have wondered whether you should try to get help. Moreover, you may be concerned about from where that help will come.
Natural supplements may be worth considering, some health experts say. Herbal oils and supplements may actually help some women having trouble with sexual desire and vaginal dryness, says Hilda Hutcherson, MD, clinical professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City.
"Black cohosh and evening primrose oil may decrease vaginal dryness," she says. "Chasteberry and ginseng may increase desire." Chasteberry can decrease a brain chemical that can lower sexual desire, Hutcherson explains. It is thought to boost dopamine, the feel-good brain chemical.
Of the various types of ginseng, Siberian ginseng is sometimes used as an aphrodisiac. It appears to give people energy and can boost mood. "And you need energy for sex, right?" Hutcherson says.
Zestra, which blends botanical oils and extracts and is meant to boost sexual desire in women, is another treatment some find helpful. In one study, it appeared to increase sexual arousal and sensation, and also helped lower sexual side effects brought on by antidepressants, explains Rachel Braun Scherl, president of Semprae Laboratories, which makes Zestra.
"So many women are on medications, and Zestra may be good for them because it's topically applied and not systemic," she says. "So it is a low risk product for women to try. Plenty of doctors and sexual health experts use it with their patients." In the study, Zestra appeared to be effective with women who had no sexual problems as well as women who are experiencing sexual problems.
If you're thinking of taking natural supplements, talk with your doctor or an experienced herbalist first, Hutcherson says. "Some natural supplements may have medicinal properties," she explains. But, she cautions, don't just start on a regimen without professional advice.
Natural remedies aren't the only possible solution. Therapy is another alternative, says Bat Sheva Marcus, Ph D., clinical director at the Medical Center for Female Sexuality in New York City and Purchase, NY.
"If it's a relationship issue, or if there is anxiety or fear about sex, therapy can work," Marcus says.
And, she adds, if a woman is experiencing mild sexual problems she may find it a little harder to get aroused. "I would say to try one of the topicals," Marcus says. "In mild cases, these products can be of limited assistance. There is a peppermint oil that's all tingly, and a variety of lubricants that can be helpful as well."
Finally, Hutcherson says, try the simplest remedy of all: more H2O. "Women need to drink water for vaginal lubrication and arousal," she explains.
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