Produced by AusDoc on behalf of COSA

Cancer patients want health professionals to discuss sex and sexual side-effects from cancer therapies during and after treatment and into survivorship, a packed session on sexuality and health heard yesterday. 

Naveena Nekkalapudi, a breast cancer survivor and consumer representative on cancer organisations, said maintaining quality of life during and post treatment included the consideration of a patient’s sexual health and well-being. 

After the presentations, she said she was heartened to hear that health professionals wanted to discuss these issues and had the tools to do so. However, she was frustrated because this was not always done. “What is preventing them?” she asked. “Is it the system, time or training?”