Helpful Site re Sexuality
Hester Hill Schnipper, LICSW, OSW-C Program Manager, Oncology Social Work
MAY 19, 2017
Very honestly, I can't remember if I have written before about this very helpful website: https://will2love.com/
I am on their mailing list and just received an email with some good information and links, and that reminded me to remind you about it. As we know, sexuality and intimacy are never improved by a cancer diagnosis and treatment and, instead, are usually harmed or damaged. During active treatment, it is close to impossible to feel one's most beautiful or handsome or sexy or desirable. Unfortunately those feelings sometimes persist long after treatment ends. Like many problems, the longer it goes unspoken, the more difficult it becomes.
Leslie Schover,PhD started and maintains this most helpful resource. Here are a few quotes:
It helps to talk:
You may not think about putting the words "sex" and "fertility" into the same sentence as "cancer treatment." But to help preserve as much health as possible, for the approximately " 60 percent of cancer survivors—9.3 million individuals in the United States alone—who end up with long-term sexual or fertility problems, it's way past time for them, their healthcare providers (doctors, nurses) and we their loved ones to 'Bring It Up,'" says digital-health company Will2Love.com founder and clinical psychology pioneer Leslie Schover, PhD, who's worked with the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Cleveland Clinic Foundation. "Fewer than 20 percent of cancer survivors get professional help for this unmet need (among the top, 5 unmet needs of cancer-treatment survivors) . . .”
Education & Talk about Sex Concerns Helps Breast Cancer-Treatment Patients
Maintain Sexual Function
Sexual counseling helped female, breast cancer patients maintain stable sexual function on aromatase inhibitors. Active intervention resulted in better outcomes at 6 months, according to investigators, among whom is clinical psychology pioneer Leslie Schover, PhD, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center retiree, and digital-health company Will2Love.com founder, who's also worked with Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Read fully about this Journal of Cancer Survivorship small study, research news here http://rdcu.be/pwDN