Living with anal cancer
Most people can have a normal sex life after having anal cancer. But this depends on what your sex life was like before and what treatment you have had. Your doctor or nurse talk with you about how treatment might affect your sex life before you start.
The side effects mentioned here don't affect everyone who has anal cancer treatment. Some of these effects can get better over time. But occasionally the changes are permanent.
You may feel embarrassed talking to your doctor or nurse about your sex life and any problems you may have. But remember that they deal with these things all the time, so try not to feel embarrassed. If you tell them about any problems you have, they can find ways to help you manage them.
Your doctor or nurse may be able to offer treatments that can help. And some hospitals have counsellors that are trained to talk about sex after cancer treatment. Your specialist nurse can refer you to this type of service.
It often helps to talk things over with your partner and explain how you feel. It will take time for both of you to come to terms with all that has happened to you.
You may decide that you want to talk to your doctor, nurse or a specialist counsellor alone at first. And then invite your partner along to a future appointment.
If you are single, you might worry how to tell a new partner about the changes to your body. It can be hard to talk about how certain problems might affect your sex life. A counsellor or sex therapist can help you find a way to do this.
Read more about sex, sexuality and cancer
Many people do not feel like having sex while they are having treatment. This can be because of side effects and general tiredness. Try not to worry about this. It is entirely normal and nothing to be concerned about.
Radiotherapy treatment shouldn't stop most people having sex once they feel comfortable. If you’ve had surgery, your surgeon will tell you how long to wait before you have sex again. But it is usually at least 6 weeks after an abdominoperineal resection (APR). This is a large operation to remove your anus, back passage (rectum) and part of your bowel.
Unfortunately, anal cancer treatment can cause side effects that affect your sex life. This can cause sexual problems in both men and women.
If you've had a colostomy, you might feel self conscious about the change in your body. You might worry about how it will affect your intimate relationships. Or you may be anxious about practical things, such as the stoma bag being noticeable or smelly during sex.
Stoma bags are well designed. You cannot normally see them under your clothes. But some people may choose to wear a stoma cap during sex. This is a small round bag that just covers your stoma. You can also explore wearing underwear that covers the stoma. Pouch covers for the colostomy bag are also available.
Your stoma bag shouldn't smell. If it does, talk to your stoma nurse. It may be that you need a different type of bag.
Many sexual positions are possible when you have a stoma. The important thing is to find ones that are comfortable for you. Having sex should not hurt your stoma. But it is important not to use a stoma for sex as this can seriously damage it.
Talking with your sexual partner about how you are feeling may help ease your concerns. Most of the time, partners want to try to understand what you're going through and help if they can. This experience is also new to them. You may both need time to feel confident enough to have sex again. And you can still be intimate with your partner through cuddling, kissing and touching until you are ready.
There are organisations that offer information and support to help you cope with anal cancer and its treatment. There are also organisations that offer general cancer support and information.
Last reviewed: 19 Aug 2025
Next review due: 19 Aug 2028
Cancer and its treatments can affect sex and sexuality. Get information and support for people with cancer, partners and single people.
After a colostomy, you'll need to adjust practically and emotionally. It can take time to get used to all these changes. But there is a lot of support available.
Treatments include radiotherapy with chemotherapy (chemoradiotherapy) and surgery. For advanced cancer you might have chemotherapy or radiotherapy on their own.
If you have anal cancer, there can be practical and emotional changes you may need help and support to cope with.
There are organisations and support groups to help you cope with anal cancer and its treatment. You can also find information on stoma product suppliers.
Anal cancer is cancer that starts in the anus. The anus is also called the anal canal.
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