乳腺癌自我护理和康复:性
什么是性?
Sexuality is the sum of feelings and behaviors we have about ourselves and others as sexual beings. 它包括我们对自己身体的感觉, 我们是如何感受被触摸和被触摸的, 我们的想法和幻想, 我们怎么行动,说什么. It includes pleasurable and exciting sensations as well as kissing, masturbation and the wide spectrum of expressions of sexual intimacy.
Sexuality has very different meanings to each of us; how we think and act sexually may be affected by our religious beliefs, 我们的文化和家庭态度, 以及之前的好与坏的感官体验, 亲密和性.
乳腺癌后性行为会发生怎样的变化?
Sexuality also may change with a breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Some women report little or no change in the meaning and acting out of sex or intimacy. This may be true for women with either active or inactive sexual lives. Some women talk about a deepening of intimacy born of the crisis of illness. 许多女性都有性欲下降的经历。, a sense of vulnerability in one's body and a feeling of needing to heal from the trauma of diagnosis, 程序和治疗.
There are specific symptoms that women may experience associated with treatments that have direct impact on sexual thoughts and behavior. 手术可能与疼痛有关, a decrease in mobility and a change in how one's body looks and feels to oneself or a partner. Radiation therapy can be associated with breast discomfort and fatigue. 化疗会导致恶心, 呕吐, 与更年期相关的疲劳和症状, 比如阴道干燥, 潮热和睡眠障碍.
Some authors have suggested that a change in sex drive may be related to a decrease in testosterone levels as well as to decreasing levels of estrogen. 自我和身体形象的改变可能与脱发有关, 乳房的增重、减重或变化.
Our thoughts and feeling have enormous impact on our sexual selves. 焦虑, 恐惧, 抑郁症, worrying and many other feelings may decrease or interrupt sexual expression. 它是, 最重要的是, just "human" that our most intimate feelings may undergo big changes sparked by the diagnosis of breast cancer.
并非所有这些改变都是坏的和艰难的. The growth and insight that can emerge from exploring sensuality and 性 may be stunning. 女性讲述了丰富的人际关系的故事, 加深含义触摸, 一个更强大的, 对自己身体充满活力甚至是愉悦的感觉.
我该怎么办呢??
- Talk to your doctors and nurses about symptoms that you are experiencing. 这可能有助于减少或治疗它们. 例如, sexual intercourse with vaginal dryness is very uncomfortable and certainly not pleasurable; vaginal lubricants and some medications may reduce this menopausal side effect. If anyone you speak with is not comfortable or knowledgeable, don't give up; find someone who is.
- Think about and explore the kind of emotional support that best works for you. 有些人从一对一治疗中受益, 还有一些人在互助团体中得到了最深的帮助, 另一些则在创造性艺术的背景下绽放, 写日记, going on a retreat or having "heart-to hearts" with 亲戚朋友.
- 阅读、研究并与他人交谈.Believing that you are the only person in the world with sad, 硬, 复杂或困惑的感觉, thoughts and behaviors about sex can be isolating and lonely.
- Understand that it is 硬 for most people to talk about sex. 和朋友开始对话, 其他患有乳腺癌的女性, 卫生保健提供者, 治疗师和配偶, 合作伙伴, 恋人是一个潜在的改变生活的事件. You may feel better; you will probably feel less alone and you may feel more at home with yourself, 你的身体, 性, 性感和亲密.
- Don't feel pressured to be any more or less sexual than you want to be. There is no "right" way to be; what's important is to explore what you want and be able to work with what you want to change.
- Remember that you deserve pleasure; only you can define that for you.
乳腺癌的自我护理和康复:
加州大学旧金山分校健康 medical specialists have reviewed this information. 它是 for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or other health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your provider.