One taboo question oncologists rarely asks their cancer patients is: How is your sex life?
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| Kristen Howard |
A 31-year-old woman who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2011, and suffered pain during sex and a loss of libido after chemotherapy, is hoping to change this stigma.
'This was something I was totally clueless on,' New York native Kristen Howard explained to ABC News. 'It took me a really long time to realize that the sexual side effects I was having had anything to do with chemo. I just sort of assumed it was more psychological, more mental than anything else.'
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| Kristen Howard, before Chemo |
Mrs Howard, who was a newlywed when she was diagnosed with cancer, said that hair loss from treatment was far less troubling than the side effects her doctors never mentioned: Vaginal dryness, pain during sex, a decreased ability to reach orgasm and a deflated libido.
'Women who are getting chemo often notice decreased sexual desire,' explains the American Cancer Society. 'Physical side effects, such as upset stomach, tiredness, and weakness, can leave little energy for relationships.'
