Researchers find higher risk of sexual problems in women cancer survivors

Oct 01, 2022

New Delhi, Oct 01 (ANI): Researchers found that young women cancer survivors are at a much higher risk of sexual problems such as loss of libido and discomfort.The findings of the research were published in the journal Acta Oncologica.The study - one of the largest of its kind to date - also suggests that cancer type and intensity of treatment influence the quality of a patient's sex life. The findings are based on nearly 700 women diagnosed with breast and other cancers before the age of 40. Lack of interest in sex (45%) was the number one issue cancer patients reported, followed by problems around achieving orgasm (34%) and satisfaction with sex life (22%). These concerns were also common among women in the general population without a cancer diagnosis but to a lesser extent (32%, 28%, and 19% respectively). More than half a million women in young adulthood are diagnosed with cancer every year globally. Hormone changes and body image issues are among biological and psychological factors which can undermine their participation in or enjoyment of intimacy.