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Sexual Effects

Physical and Psychological

Side Effects

Eating well during
Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy may – but does not always – affect sexual organs and functioning in both men and women. The side effects that might occur depend on the drugs used and the person’s age and general health.

Men
Chemotherapy drugs may lower the number of sperm cells, reduce their ability to move, or cause other abnormalities. These changes can result in infertility, which may be temporary or permanent. Infertility affects a man’s ability to father a child but does not affect his ability to have sexual intercourse.

Since permanent sterility may occur, it’s important to discuss this issue with your doctor before you begin chemotherapy. If you wish, you might consider sperm banking, a procedure that freezes sperm for future use.
Men undergoing chemotherapy should use an effective means of birth control with their partners during treatment because of the harmful effects of the drugs on chromosomes. Ask your doctor when you can stop using birth control for this purpose.

Women
Anti–cancer drugs can damage the ovaries and reduce the amount of hormones they produce. As a result, some women find that their menstrual periods become irregular or stop completely while they are having chemotherapy.

The hormonal effects of chemotherapy also may cause menopause–like symptoms such as hot flushes and itching, burning, or dryness of vaginal tissues.

These tissue changes can make intercourse uncomfortable, but the symptoms often can be relieved by using a water–based vaginal lubricant. The tissue changes also can make a woman more likely to get vaginal infections. To help prevent infection, avoid oil–based lubricants such as petroleum jelly, wear cotton underwear and pantyhose with a ventilated cotton lining, and don’t wear tight slacks or shorts. Your doctor also may prescribe a vaginal cream or suppository to reduce the chances of infection. If infection does occur, it should be treated right away.

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