The Effects of Radiotherapy on Sex and Fertility
Tuesday, August 1, 2017 | CancerIn the course of radiotherapy application, unlike general belief, sexual intercourse is not prohibited. Particularly if radiotherapy is applied to the outside of the hip region, there is nothing that sexual life can threaten. However, there may be problems in this issue due to the reduced sexual desire (libido) due to the psychological disorders caused by the illness and some side effects that the radiotherapine applied to the hip region may need. Radiotherapy applied to the hip region in women may result in vaginal dryness, constriction in the vagina, which will affect sexual union negatively. There are special vaginal creams that can minimize these problems. Radiotherapy to the hip region in men can lead to temporary or permanent hardening problems. Radiotherapy applied to the hip region has detrimental effects on fertility. The ovaries in women and the testes in men are those whose radiotherapy resistance is very low. Even in small doses, both the ovaries and the testes can cause loss of function. Periodic menstruation due to the influence of the ovaries in women is first irregular, then cut. Signs of early menopause such as fever, boredom, mental disorder, vaginal dryness are manifest. In this case, of course, the fertility function will also be affected. For women who are planning to have children at a later stage, it is possible to carry the ovaries out of the radiotherapy area with a small surgical procedure before the hip radiotherapy starts, and to replace the ovaries after the radiotherapy. Thus, the fertility function of the patient is not affected. Radiotherapy to the hip region also poses similar risks for men. If the testes are in the area of the radiotherapy, sperm are damaged even at low doses. To prevent this, testicular radioprotective special apparatus can be used or sperm banks can be used before radiotherapy.