This self-access class will explores the prevalence, assessment and management of temporary and permanent erectile and ejaculatory changes for those having cancer treatment. Pelvic cancers will be a focus including anorectal or urological malignancies and people recovering after stem cell transplant for haematological malignancies.
A biopsychosocial model of Psychosexual Therapy practice will be used that integrates psycho-educational, biomedical, and psychotherapeutic interventions commonly used to support individuals and couples experiencing these sexual consequences of cancer treatment.
The session also explores common cancer and sex myths which may be raised by Service Users who are avoiding the resumption of post-treatment sexual activity.
The training is of relevance and has impact on the work of any therapist that wants to better support individual and couple adaptation in organic sexual dysfunction where the anatomical or physiological mechanisms that support erectile and ejaculatory function may be permanently damaged. Situations are explored where the individual or couple’s sexual repertoire may need to be significantly modified to enable sexual expression and re-define what constitutes sexual pleasure.
This session recording is part of a series which includes Sex & Cancer: Sexual Pain and Sex & Cancer: LGBT+ considerations.
**This self-access is a recording of a 3-hour live session which took place in October 2024. All of the discussions that took place during the live session have been removed from the recording, following editing of group discussions and study sessions the recording is approximately 2-hours.
The session includes:
- Prevalence and types of erectile difficulties and ejaculatory changes after cancer treatment.
- Mechanisms of tissue injury that lead to erectile difficulties and ejaculatory changes.
- Orgasmic changes after treatment.
- Management strategies.
- Grief & adjustment to permanent changes in sexual function, role & relationship dynamic
- Long-term ADT- adjustment to identity & redefining sexual pleasure.
About the Trainer
Isabel White is currently the Director of Clinical Service Improvement and Lead Psychosexual Therapist at Perci Health Ltd. and is also a psychosexual therapist at The Edinburgh Practice, Edinburgh.
She is botha cancer nurse and a senior accredited psychosexual therapist (College of Sexual & Relationship Therapists- COSRT). Isabel established the Royal Marsden Hospital’s (London) psychosexual therapy service, supporting people whose sexual lives and intimate relationships had been adversely affected by cancer and its treatment.
She continues to work in partnership with NHS cancer centres and UK charities including Breast Cancer Now, Movember, Maggie’s Centres, Penny Brohn UK, OUTpatients, Macmillan Cancer Support and Pancreatic Cancer UK. She also offers private psychosexual therapy to people living with and beyond cancer online through her work with Perci Health, a new UK-wide supportive cancer care telemedicine service.
