The Elephant in the Room is Cancer. Tea is the Relief Conversation Provides.

Sexuality

Sexuality, wellness and fertility are topics that aren’t talked about enough but are extremely important to the AYA cancer community.  Check out stories and experiences that can help educate you on what to expect with sexual health, fertility and wellness.  Have an experience or story that you’d like to share with the community?  Let us know about it!

Want to submit a post? Click Here.

Dude, Where’s My Erection? Part I

by Marloe Esch RN, BSN, OCN March 7, 2023

Warning: Mature Content

One of the most common sexual problems that survivors with penises experience are changes with erections (6,10). Unfortunately, erections don’t get a lot of air time during clinic conversations. For one thing, sexual side effects of treatments sometimes don’t show up right away, and over time survivorship concerns may no longer be on a provider’s radar (though they should be!).

Read More...

Orgasms After Cancer: Part II

by Marloe Esch RN, BSN, OCN November 22, 2022

Welcome to Part II of “Orgasms After Cancer!” In case you missed Part I, head back to the March 2022 issue of Elephants and Tea for a quick peek; it will be helpful as we move on to Part II. After all, the more you know about how things work, the more likely you are to discover what works for you. Sit tight, because things are about to get stimulating!

Read More...

Orgasms After Cancer: Part I

by Marloe Esch RN, BSN, OCN November 2, 2022

Understanding the “O” in “OMG!”

As if all the other side effects from cancer treatment aren’t bad enough, survivors can also experience frustrating changes in their sex lives, including newly altered (or absent!) orgasms. Why does this happen, and what can be done?

Read More...

“E” is for Emotional Intimacy

by Marloe Esch RN, BSN, OCN September 29, 2022

Cancer has a way of disrupting almost every aspect of a person’s life, including sex. If you’re like most young survivors, you may be struggling with a number of things that can affect how sexual you feel, or whether or not you’re interested in or able to engage in sexual activity. This is totally normal. Sometimes, though, altered sexual routines can also impact a couple’s emotional closeness. If you are in a romantic relationship, it’s important to remember that there are lots of ways to share intimacy that don’t include sex.

Read More...

The Who’s Who of Sexual Health in Survivorship

by Marloe Esch RN, BSN, OCN April 22, 2022

Building a Sexual Wellness Recovery Team. Changes in sex, intimacy, and relationships are common after cancer.  But if you are experiencing an issue, it can feel pretty lonely, and you may not know who to ask for help. Your primary care or oncology care teams are always a good place to start.

Read More...

The Ouch Factor

by Marloe Esch RN, BSN, OCN January 7, 2022

Why Sexual Pain Happens After Cancer, and What Can Be Done. If you experience discomfort with sexual activity, you’re not alone. Sexual pain happens to be the most commonly reported sexual complaint for women after cancer (Bober & Krapf, 2021).

Read More...

Help! I’m in Hot Flash Hell!

by Marloe Esch RN, BSN, OCN July 23, 2021

Hot flashes and night sweats are common side effects of cancer treatment. Although hot flashes themselves are not unsafe or unhealthy, they can be extremely disruptive and distressing. The good news is that there are options available to help you find relief.  

Read More...

Advocating for your Body in the Bedroom

by Lindsay Durrenberger

Suddenly, the body I once knew — the body that ran half marathons and excelled in dance classes and mastered a crow pose in yoga and tackled other bodies in rugby and sexually satisfied my husband and grew, birthed, and nursed two babies — was foreign to me in every sense of the word.

Read More...

Cancer Talk

by Riley Anne July 19, 2021

Sex….let’s talk about it. Sex is viewed as a taboo topic for most, but you know what else is? Cancer! Let’s put both topics together and talk about them.

Read More...

How PCHP Led Me to Love (Myself)

by Emily Ward July 8, 2021

So long as every person involved is a consenting adult, there is no wrong way to engage in sexual intimacy. In fact, I have found my experiences to be deeply liberating and a confirmation that we are all deserving of intimacy and pleasure regardless of our disability, illness, or trauma if that’s what we desire. 

Read More...