cope with illness

What do you observe in your clinical practice ?

I meet many patients in situations of great psychological distress, for whom sexual disorders constitute additional suffering. For example, some men with prostate cancer express, often with great emotion, difficulties such as reduced libido, erectile dysfunction or ejaculatory dysfunction.

Men and women can also experience functional problems, such as urinary or anal leakage, leading to feelings of shame and withdrawal. In female patients, vaginal dryness is common and can cause pain during intimate intercourse, but also during daily activities such as cycling, hygiene after using the toilet or even wearing lingerie.

What advice do you give to these patients? ?

It is fundamental to remember that sexuality is not limited to penetration, but encompasses a broader set of sensory and emotional interactions (massages, kisses, caresses, simple physical contact). I emphasize the importance of communication within the couple and encourage my patients to welcome their partner’s initiatives, despite possible apprehensions linked to pain or the effects of treatments, with a view to progressive rediscovery of the body and pleasure.

What are the benefits of sexuality ?

A fulfilling intimate life contributes to improving physical and psychological health. In illness, patients are confronted with a feeling of vulnerability and the anxiety of death. The main thing in the end is to have sexuality to feel alive. This can then constitute a means of strengthening emotional ties and reconnecting with a form of normality.