This can be a life-saving journey, but such treatment brings significant side effects in terms of sexual health. Such a change is essential to understanding a man’s journey post-treatment. Experts share important information about what happens after the treatment, about prostate cancer and its treatment impact on sexual health, along with solutions that can help.
Common Sexual Health Challenges Post-Treatment:
Impotence
Impotence, the inability to achieve erections, is one of the most common complications after cancer treatment for prostate cancer. Even surgery and radiation can affect the nerves that produce erection, making it hard and sometimes impossible to obtain for several months or longer in some men. Over time, some men improve by themselves, but in some cases, medical treatment can help restore the ability to have erections.
Sex Drive
Hormone therapy is a very common treatment of prostate cancer. It lowers testosterone levels. Testosterone plays a key role in libido; therefore, men may feel less interest in sex following the treatment.
Changes in Orgasm
Most of the men complain of changes in their orgasmic experiences after the treatment. The orgasms might occur even without an erection, but the intensity and satisfaction decrease, and consequently, sexual pleasure decreases.
The males may suffer from “dry orgasms,” in which the seminal fluid cannot exit after the prostatectomy. The change may affect the feelings of an orgasm although the experience of pleasure might still remain.
Penis Shortening
A male may feel his penis shorten after his radiation treatment or surgery. This is not actual shrinking, though. The scars may deprive the area of blood, giving one a feeling that his penis has shrunk.
Better Sexual Health Treatment
Sexual health issues can only be bettered once adequate treatment has been administered in order to gain an improved quality of life. The following are some helpful treatments for sexual health:
Medications for Erectile Dysfunction
Primarily, drugs in the family of phosphodiesterase type 5 include sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), and vardenafil (Levitra) as it helps men who experience problems achieving and maintaining an erection as it allows for the intake of more blood flow into the penis that aids in the occurrence of erectile function.
Penile Rehabilitation
Other beneficial interventions may include engaging in penile rehabilitation following surgery through the use of drugs or vacuum erection devices or injective agents in the penis that help in enhancing erectile functions over time.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Those whose levels of libido are low because of low testosterone levels can resort to HRT although this should be done cautiously as higher levels of testosterone would spur cell growth in cancer of the prostate; it is strictly on a case-to-case basis.
Vacuum Erection Devices (VEDs)
VEDs create suction on the penis to draw in blood into the penis to facilitate the achievement of an erection. This is another non-invasive option available for patients who cannot enhance their response to pills.
Penile Implants
These are implanted as long-term interventions into cases of erectile dysfunction hence ensuring the control of a male individual to his erection.
Need for Open Communication
Early and open discussions with providers can help set realistic expectations and explore appropriate treatment options. Sexual health is such an important part of well-being, and understanding what may change can empower men to seek support in those situations.
Sexual health becomes the central issue in improving the quality of life following prostate cancer treatment for men. Therefore, the quality of life becomes the central aspect of a holistic recovery approach following prostate cancer treatment. This is realized if knowledge and support are applied appropriately to the issues of sexual health in facing prostate cancer treatment.
