Cancer can also strike a woman’s vagina, uterus, cervix or ovaries. Women with these cancers experience negative changes in all stages of the sexual response cycle and with their sex lives in general (Gamel et al., 2000) . Some women who have been diagnosed with cervical cancer ini­tiate sexual intercourse as a way to “say […]

In American society, breasts are a focal part of female sexual attractiveness, and women often invest much of their feminine self-image in their breasts. For many years, a diag­nosis of breast cancer usually meant that a woman lost that breast; mastectomy was the preferred treatment. Simple mastectomies meant that the breast tissue alone was re­moved, […]

Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases, can involve almost any organ of the body, and has a reputation of being invariably fatal. In fact, cure rates have increased dramatically, and some cancers are now more than 90% curable. Still, cancer can kill, and a diagnosis of cancer is usually accompanied by shock, numbness, […]

Heart disease, including hypertension, angina, and myocardial infarction (MI), is the number one cause of death in the United States. A person with heart disease—even a person who has had a heart transplant—can return to a normal sex life shortly after re­covery. Most cardiologists allow intercourse as soon as the patient feels up to it, […]

or years, because of my cerebral palsy and certain other physical difficulties, I doubted my ability to give and receive pleasure in sexual in­tercourse. For a long time I did not want to ask my doctors about sex because I felt that a negative an­swer would make me regard myself as nonhuman— such is the […]

Dyspareunia may occur prior to, during, or after sexual intercourse and may involve only slight pain, which does not interfere much with sexual activity. However, when it is ex­treme, it may make sexual intercourse difficult, if not impossible. It is estimated that close to 15% of women experience pain during sexual intercourse (Laumann et al., […]

People who experience any of the pain disorders often believe that they have to live with the problem. As a result, they do not seek help. However, medical evaluations and counseling can help isolate possible causes and solutions. Women who are expe­riencing vaginismus should consult with a physician and bring their partner as well. A […]

Although psychological factors have been primarily implicated in retarded ejaculation, we still do not really understand what causes this problem, which makes treatment difficult. In many cases, psychotherapy is used to help work through some of these issues as a part of treatment. One 43-year-old man shared with me his lifelong problem in reaching orgasm […]

Retarded (or inhibited) ejaculation refers to a situation in which a man may be entirely unable to reach orgasm during certain sexual activities or may only be able to ejaculate after prolonged stimulation (for 30 to 45 minutes; it is also sometimes referred to as ab­sent ejaculation). Therapists distinguish between primary and secondary retarded ejacu­lation […]