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- Understanding the phases of sexuality and how cancer can affect one or more of them can help you increase your satisfaction with sex.
- • Desire This varies from person to person, ranging from an uninterested, indifferent attitude to a very active
- desire for sex. Desire can often be increased by physical, visual or fantasy stimulation.
- • Excitement The body reacts to stimulation with increased blood flow in the sex organs and increased heart
- rate and blood pressure. Sexual interest and stimulation are characterized by an erection in men and increased
- vaginal lubrication in women, although a person may feel desire without those physiological responses.
- Sexual problems often occur during the excitement phase. This can lead to considerable anxiety and distress.
- Men may lose the ability to get or keep an erection. Women may not have enough vaginal lubrication for
- comfortable penetration, making intercourse difficult or painful.
- • Orgasm This is a peak of pleasurable expression followed by a gratifying relaxation. It is both a physical
- release and an emotional high.
- Some men might ejaculate only after prolonged stimulation. Sometimes nothing happens despite prolonged
- effort. Or the ejaculate might be reversed into the bladder (retrograde) rather than going forward and out the
- penis. Orgasm still occurs, but there is no semen or liquid.
- For women, the painful intercourse (dyspareunia) that sometimes follows cancer treatment can inhibit
- orgasm.
