Let's talk about it
Print this sign to hang in your office and clearly let your patients know you're there to listen, and ready to talk.
Connecting healthcare providers with resources about breast cancer and sexual health, questions, and concerns
Sexual side effects are a common and often distressing issue for young women during and after breast cancer treatment.
Despite this, Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s 2020 National Needs Assessment of Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer found that most young women in treatment report that they never discussed sexual side effects with their medical team. There are many reasons patients may be reluctant to bring up the topic of sex, and in more than two-thirds of cases where there was a discussion of sexual side effects, a healthcare provider was the one to open that discussion.
LBBC is committed to helping young people navigate the complex ways in which breast cancer impacts their lives and to providing healthcare providers the education and resources to address their patients’ unmet needs. On this page you will find a collection of resources to help you speak to patients about sexual health and address some of the most common questions and concerns they may face. You’ll also find resources to share with your patients as well as links to external organizations.
Print this sign to hang in your office and clearly let your patients know you're there to listen, and ready to talk.
📥 Start the conversation: Discussing sexual health with breast cancer patients
Despite the impact that breast cancer treatment can have on sexual health, most young women report that they never discussed the topic during their care. This downloadable tip sheet provides straightforward recommendations you can share with your patients to help them find relief for a problem that can feel hopeless.
Time to read: 1 minute
Download now🎥 Let’s talk about sex and breast cancer: Navigating tough conversations with your patients
Starting a conversation about sex can be a challenge both for patients and providers. In this webinar, breast surgeon and OB-GYN Heather Macdonald, MD, FACOG, and licensed sex therapist Stephanie Buehler, MPW, PsyD, CST-S, IF, discuss ways to introduce the topic that minimizes awkwardness. They also provide information and resources to help you feel prepared for the conversation and questions that may follow. Slides are also available.
Please note: CEs are no longer available.
Length: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Watch now📄 Needs assessment identifies six key gaps in care of young women diagnosed with breast cancer
Serving the needs of young women requires understanding what those needs are and which ones are not being met. Learn what young women said about sexual health and five other key needs that aren’t being met in care, from the National Needs Assessment of Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer. Download the full executive summary.
Time to read: 9 minutes
Learn more🎥 Young women’s stories & tips for providers: Sexual health and breast cancer
In this video, women from our series on sexual health effects share what they wish they heard from healthcare providers to help them prepare for and deal with these issues.
Length: Under 5 minutes
Take a look at these resources and select those that would be most helpful to your patients. Share links to articles, downloadables, videos, and blogs about sexual health.
Sexual side effects of breast cancer
Our page for patients covers the various ways breast cancer treatment can affect sexual health, along with practical information on finding help and support for women who are dealing with these effects.
Time to read: 7 minutes
LGBTQ+: Body image, sexuality, and family planning
Information tailored for LGBTQ+ people on the challenges of dealing with sexual health effects and related issues including body image and fertility.
Time to read: 8 minutes
Sex, intimacy, and breast cancer video series (above)
Length: Each video is approximately 5 minutes or less
Sex and intimacy with Monique Gary, DO, MSc, FACS
Length: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Sexuality and Intimacy After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Sage Bolte, PhD, LCSW, CST
Length: Under 5 minutes
Coping, hoping, and a ‘new normal’, Sage Bolte, PhD, LCSW, CST
Length: 3 minutes
When should I tell my date about my diagnosis? Sage Bolte, PhD, LCSW, CST
Length: Under 4 minutes
Talking about sex with your healthcare provider, Sage Bolte, PhD, LCSW, CST
Length: Under 3 minutes
Lived experiences from our community
Fill out our form if you would like to download the sexual health sign and/or provide feedback on the Toolkit. Click one or both of the boxes below, then the fields for you to complete will be visible. Once you click submit, it will take a few seconds to process.
This project is supported by the Grant or Cooperative Agreement Number 1 NU58DP006672, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services.
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Living Beyond Breast Cancer is a national nonprofit organization that seeks to create a world that understands there is more than one way to have breast cancer. To fulfill its mission of providing trusted information and a community of support to those impacted by the disease, Living Beyond Breast Cancer offers on-demand emotional, practical, and evidence-based content. For over 30 years, the organization has remained committed to creating a culture of acceptance — where sharing the diversity of the lived experience of breast cancer fosters self-advocacy and hope. For more information, learn more about our programs and services.