Can sex help prevent breast cancer

The most uncomfortable stuff to talk about is probably your sex life and the changes that have taken place with your illness. You may not know what needs fixing or how to fix it, but you know things are different. Most people have wild ideas about what goes on in other people's bedrooms. Give yourself a break: The carefully researched book Sex in America by Michael, Gagnon, Laumann, and Kolata tells us that Americans have a lot less sex than the movies, television, and the guys in the locker room would have you believe. The averages reported in that book are:. For people over 60, the numbers continue to decline.

After breast surgery you may continue to feel sore and your arm may feel stiff for several weeks or longer. For some people the pain after surgery continues and is related to nerve damage that happens at the time of surgery. This type of pain is often accompanied by burning, a feeling of pressure and numbness. Taking hormone therapies, particularly aromatase inhibitors may mean you experience pain or stiffness in your joints. Chemotherapy drugs such as docetaxel can also cause numbness and tingling in the hands and feet peripheral neuropathy as well as painful muscles and joints.

Sex and intimacy. And now there is even more of a reason to turn off the cellphone, turn down the lights and get a little closer. For decades, studies have shown that people who engage in regular sexual intercourse live a longer and healthier life.

Has your cancer treatment changed the look of your outer genitals in any way? If so, take time to get used to the changes. Check to see if any areas are sore or tender. Share what you learn about yourself with your partner.