Lauren Engel discusses the importance of talking openly about sexual health after prostate cancer treatment, encouraging patients to share concerns with their care team so they can access treatments and support to maintain intimacy and quality of life.
Lauren Engel:
I think it's also really important for especially the younger men to be really open about the sexual health side effects, especially they're in a new relationship or their whole lives have been a certain way with their sexuality, and this changes things.
We know that low testosterone and treatment for prostate cancer, whether that's radiation or prostatectomies can result in erectile dysfunction. And I think some men are a little hesitant to share that with their team, as that's even a concern for them, because they feel like they shouldn't, or they feel like they have bigger problems to deal with, or anything like that.
But the sexual health is a part of the health in general of the folks that we treat. And so I think being open about the concerns that you might have there is also important. And sometimes we use medications to help with that, or men's specialists, where you can do other things, like injections or implants. So know that it's important and we will address it, but bringing it up is also a part of it.