Cancer treatment side effects, such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, hair loss--including pubic hair--weight changes, scars, and sensitivity to tastes and smells may leave you feeling exhausted and uncomfortable. These side effects consume so much energy that sex may be the very last thing on your mind.

Fortunately, patients have options to help relieve their symptoms, and many patients take medicines to treat pain, nausea, anxiety, depression, or other symptoms. However, many of these medicines can decrease sexual desire, which combined with the effects of cancer treatment, may cause you to feel indifferent toward sex. Furthermore, many medicines taken for depression or anxiety may make it harder to reach orgasm.

Some of the medicines also may affect your mental state--how alert or sharp you feel, your mood, and how you interact with people--and so you may not be thinking or communicating clearly. This can negatively affect how you relate to your partner, making sexual contact difficult.

Therefore, if you are experiencing any symptoms or side effects--whatever the cause--ask your doctor or another member of your healthcare team to work with you to find other remedies or strategies to help you feel better.