REGAINING A HEALTHY SEX LIFE AFTER PROSTATE CANCER

12 Dec REGAINING A HEALTHY SEX LIFE AFTER PROSTATE CANCER

By Dr. Elmari Mulder Craig, Specialist Sexologist

Prostate cancer is one of the most common male cancers in the Western world and can have many sexual implications on patients and their partners. Physical changes include impotence and a loss of libido, while urinary incontinence can disrupt intimacy and sexuality.

However, prostate cancer as a disease does far less damage to sexual function than the treatments that aim to cure it. Patients typically go through a long period of fear, from the initial fear of death to the fear of recurrence often rising before follow-up examinations. As a result, many patients suffer from depression, anxiety, adjustment disorder or dysthymia.