Focus on the “sexual” well-being of female patients

  The exact cause of most cancers is still unclear, but the development is mainly related to genetic, dietary and environmental factors. What is of particular concern to the society is that, with the improvement of people’s living standard and the change of diet structure, the intake of animal fat and animal protein increases, while the intake of plant protein and fiber such as grain, potato and bean decreases; the staple food is too fine and the intake of vegetables and fruits is not enough, which leads to the high trend of some malignant tumors, and one third of malignant tumors are caused by improper diet. At present, most statistics show that breast cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer and ovarian cancer rank the top 4 in the incidence of female tumors, accounting for 65% of the overall incidence of malignant tumors, with nearly 32% of women developing cancer before the age of 45.  Once a woman suffers from cancer, both husband and wife will worry about their future life, fearing that the disease will recur and that the physical disease will affect the couple’s life. In fact, most tumor patients are fully capable of having a normal sex life after their body recovers. Restoring moderate sex life is beneficial to patients both in terms of improving their quality of life and preventing recurrence. The so-called moderate sex life means that after sex, one does not feel tired and the next day there will be no signs such as dizziness, back pain and poor spirit, which can be grasped by patients according to their own condition. If the cancer treatment is over, the disease is stable, the patient’s strength is gradually recovered, and the patient has adapted to the changes brought about by the disease, then the patient can resume normal sexual life. Even if the patient is not in good health, he or she can still have a certain degree of sexual life, depending on the couple’s perception of sexual life.  For breast cancer patients, after the trauma of surgery and the stimulation of chemotherapy, they are weak and in the recovery period within 3 months after comprehensive treatment. During this period, sexual intercourse should be absolutely prohibited to facilitate the recovery of the body. The number of sexual intercourse should also be controlled and reduced during the 1 – 3 years after the operation. If you are in good health and your condition is relatively stable, you can have a moderate and easy sex life. However, care should be taken not to be too excited or violent when having sex, and not to have more desire. In particular, you should take good care of contraception because pregnancy has a certain effect on the recurrence of breast cancer. Especially for breast cancer patients with axillary lymph node metastasis, pregnancy can promote the recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer. In conclusion, breast cancer patients should be cautious about intercourse, neither absolutely forbidden nor at will. It is good for the body and mind, and good for recovery.  For most lung cancer patients, sex is harmless, and a reasonable and moderate sex life is beneficial to the physical and mental recovery of patients. During the recovery period after surgery (1 to 3 months after surgery) or during radiotherapy, sex may cause bleeding or strain the wound and sometimes increase the chance of infection, so it should be controlled at this time. Patients should avoid excessive fatigue during sex to cause a decline in immunity, and try to use a position that is conducive to patient rest. Urination during sex is good for flushing out bacteria that can cause infections in the external genital area, so it is a good habit to drink some water before sex to facilitate urination.  The cervix is the area that the penis often touches. This area will become congested and eroded due to long-term stimulation by urine base and semen, which will develop into cervical cancer over time. After surgery or other treatments, with the gradual removal of cancerous lesions and basic recovery of physical strength, it is generally possible to have conjugal life. It is important to note that due to the formation of vaginal scars after surgery and the total removal of the ovaries, estrogen will drop to minimal levels, causing the vagina to gradually shrink, become shorter and drier. It is usually one-third shorter than before and becomes narrower. Adequate sexual intercourse can widen the narrowed area and at the same time provide lubrication, effectively avoiding adhesions. However, sex must be restrained, preferably about one month after surgery, and the number of times should not be too many, generally controlled to about 3-5 times per month, and the second action should be gentle and slow, so as not to damage the surgical stump and cause local bleeding and infection.  Ovarian cancer is not a contagious disease nor a sexually transmitted disease, so it will not be infected and we can have sex. Moreover, a good sex life can improve women’s mood and emotion, which is beneficial to the treatment of ovarian cancer, and we can have sex as long as our physical condition allows. During the recovery period of ovarian cancer patients, they can have sex as long as their physical condition allows, but they should pay attention to the combination of work and rest. Ovarian cancer patients, especially during long-term treatment, should pay attention to rest and maintain physical strength.  For patients with advanced cancer, sex is not a taboo. The consequences of treatment (such as colostomy, genital stenosis, surgery on pelvis or perineum and breast, etc.), advanced symptoms such as pain, physical weakness and lack of sexual knowledge all affect sexual function in different degrees. Sexual satisfaction can be achieved through various methods, such as soothing, flirting and various smaller actions, thus satisfying the basic physiological needs of advanced patients and helping to improve the quality of life.