Sex and cancer for men
Some cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, can often cause changes to your sex life.
Having chemotherapy might affect your sex life in different ways.
Treatment can cause side effects that might make you feel less sexual. For example, you might be very tired, feel sick or have a sore mouth.
Chemotherapy could affect the way you feel about yourself. For example, if you have hair loss or thinning. Or you might be more sensitive or less sensitive to touch than usual.
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Some chemotherapy drugs can also affect your fertility. This can be difficult to cope with, even if you were not planning on having children.
Find out about sperm collection and storage (sperm banking)
A female partner should avoid becoming pregnant. This is because the chemotherapy drugs could harm the baby. You should use reliable contraception to avoid pregnancy during treatment. And for a period of time afterwards. The exact time depends on the drug. Ask your doctor, nurse of pharmacist about this.
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It is not known for sure if chemotherapy drugs can be passed on through semen or secretions from the vagina. Because of this some doctors advise people to use a barrier method if you have sex during treatment. Barrier methods include condoms, femidoms or dental dams. This applies to vaginal, anal or oral sex.
Generally, doctors advise a barrier method only for the time you are actually having the treatment. And for about a week after your treatment.
Advice like this can be worrying, but this does not mean that you have to avoid being intimate with your partner. You can still have close contact with your partner and continue to enjoy sex.
Get more information about sex and chemotherapy
Talk to your doctor or cancer nurse before your treatment starts if you're worried about the effects chemotherapy might have on your sex life.
They’ll be able to tell you:
the general side effects to expect from your treatment
how these side effects might affect your sex life
It can help to talk to a close friend or relative. Or you may prefer to talk to someone outside your circle of family and friends.
Ask your chemotherapy nurse about available counselling and support groups. Speaking with people who understand and have gone through similar things can be a great comfort. You can also look in our counselling section for information about finding a counsellor.
You and your partner may want to speak to a therapist or counsellor specialising in cancer or sexual problems. Ask your doctor or cancer nurse about this.
Last reviewed: 16 Oct 2024
Next review due: 16 Oct 2027
Chemotherapy is the use of anti cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells.
Some men lead normal sex lives during treatment. Others find that their sex lives change, but go back to normal afterwards.
Some cancer treatments might affect your fertility. Sperm banking is a way of storing your sperm for use in later fertility treatment.
Some cancer treatments can make it more difficult to get and keep an erection. There are treatments that may help you. Sex therapy can also be helpful.
Search for the cancer type you want to find out about. Each section has detailed information about symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, research and coping with cancer.
Cancer and its treatments can affect sex and sexuality. Get information and support for people with cancer, partners and single people.
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