Dealing with sexual problems

What to expect

Many sexual problems that men have after cancer treatment will not last long. For instance, pain with erection or ejaculation soon after pelvic surgery or radiation is likely to go away. The stress of treatment can also reduce hormone levels for a few weeks. This may cause decreased desire or erection problems until hormone levels go back to normal.

As you feel more in control of your body and your life, you will find that your self-confidence returns and your sex life often gets better.

But some cancer treatments can cause a lifelong change in a man’s sexual function. It’s hard to know what will happen to any one person. For example, one man’s erections may come back after radical prostatectomy while another man’s may not. But if you do have a sexual problem, your health care team can often find the cause and give you an idea of your chance for recovery.

One clue that a problem is a medical one and one that may not go away is if it happens in all situations. Otherwise, it may be psychological and short term. For example, if you have trouble getting or keeping an erection, does it happen every time you have sex? Are your erections better when you relax, when you stimulate your own penis, or when you unexpectedly see someone attractive? If you have a few partners, are your erections better with one of them than with the others?