Women under 40 who are diagnosed with cancer are more likely to experience sex issues following treatment than their peers, according to a new analysis.

Cancer has been shown to affect how young women feel about their bodies and their sexual desire.

According to a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Acta Oncologica, young cancer survivors are at a significantly increased risk of sexual issues, such as libido loss and discomfort.

One of the largest studies of its sort to date also raises the possibility that a patient’s quality of sex life may be influenced by the type of cancer and the extent of treatment.

Nearly 700 women under the age of 40 who were diagnosed with breast and other malignancies served as the basis for the findings. They reveal that although women are just as sexually active as people without these disorders, a disproportionately higher percentage of them struggle with intimacy.

The most common concern cited by cancer patients was a lack of interest in sex (45%), which was followed by issues with obtaining orgasm (34%) and happiness with sex life (22%).

However, to a lesser extent (32%, 28%, and 19%), these worries were equally prevalent among women in the general population who had not been given a cancer diagnosis.

The authors, a group of academics from Uppsala University and the Karolinska Institutet, both in Sweden, are now pleading with doctors to offer help for sexual wellbeing when necessary. They recommend various tactics, including hormone replacement treatment (HRT), vaginal moisturizers, and psychosexual counseling for unmarried women.

According to the primary author and principal investigator Lena Wettergren, a professor of care sciences at Uppsala University, “This is one of the largest population-based studies of sexual function ever conducted in young women following cancer.”

According to our findings, two out of every three women had sexual dysfunction, and the issues were caused by their cancer treatments and emotional discomfort.

These results highlight the need of frequently evaluating sexual health in clinical care and follow-up.

“We recommend development of specific interventions directed to women in addition to offering counselling and other aids.”

Globally, more than 500,000 young adult women receive a cancer diagnosis each year. Aspects of their biology and psychology, such as hormonal shifts and body image problems, may make it difficult for them to engage in or enjoy intimacy.

However, it is unknown how closely cancer and sexual dysfunction are related. According to some research, in the initial years following diagnosis, about half of young women report having sexual problems.

However, the majority of research focuses on breast cancer, and very few studies have contrasted patients with the general population.

The authors of this study sought to understand the nature and scope of the difficulties faced by young female cancer patients.

The data was based on 694 women between the ages of 18 and 39 who received a diagnosis between January 2016 and August 2017 and were located via recognized national health registries.

Half of them had breast cancer, and the other half had gynecological cancer, brain tumors, or lymphoma. A total of 53% had received treatment that was classified as “very” or “most” in terms of its severity or scope.

One and a half years following diagnosis, a study asking everyone about their recent sex life was conducted. Eight themes related to sexual activity were the basis for the questions, including the ability to orgasm, interest in sexual activity, discomfort and pain during sexual activity, and happiness with sex life.

Patients were also questioned about their body image, such as if they found it difficult to look at themselves in the mirror, and asked to list their reasons for not having sex with a partner. They rated how distressed they felt personally.

The outcomes were contrasted with a random sample of 493 women, aged 19 to 40, who had not been diagnosed with cancer.

Results showed that most women, whether they had cancer or not (83% of those with cancer and 87% of those without) had sex in the previous 30 days, either with a partner or through masturbation.

However, 63% of cancer patients reported having at least one sexual problem, such vulvar discomfort. Overall, survey respondents were more likely to report problems with any form of sexual engagement.

Those with breast or gynecological cancer and older women were more likely to experience sex-related issues. This also applied to individuals receiving more intensive therapies including chemotherapy and high-dose radiation.

Greater sexual dysfunction was linked to emotional discomfort and a misguided view of their bodies after cancer treatment.

The primary characteristics associated with a lack of sexual activity with a partner were vaginal dryness or pain and feeling unattractive. The authors emphasize that these are all possibly connected to cancer treatment because this was among cancer patients.

The study’s limitations include the possibility that those who did agree to participate were more sexually active and had fewer sex issues or vice versa. It therefore could create results that over or underestimate the findings, but most people (72%) asked to complete the survey did so.

Source: 10.1080/0284186X.2022.2112283

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