When Can I Have Sex Again After Prostate Cancer Treatment?
Updated June 13, 2014.
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
Question: When Can I Have Sex Again After Prostate Cancer Treatment?
Many men want to know when they can return to having sex after prostate cancer treatment -- whether surgery, radiation, or another form of treatment.
Answer:
When you can return to your normal level of sexual activity following treatment for prostate cancer has a lot to do with which type of treatment you underwent.
For men who have undergone prostate cancer surgery, many surgeons recommend avoiding sexual activity for several weeks (roughly 3-6) in order to allow for proper healing.
Radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy usually do not necessarily preclude men from returning fairly rapidly to their prior level of sexual activity. However, there may be side effects of these treatments (such as fatigue or erectile dysfunction) that may make sex difficult or impossible despite the lack of prohibitions by your doctor on returning to sexual activity.
If you have been treated with implanted radioactive seeds (brachytherapy), your doctor will likely give you a certain time frame where sexual activity should be avoided due to the presence of radioactivity within your prostate, as well as to allow for proper healing following the implantation procedure.
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
Question: When Can I Have Sex Again After Prostate Cancer Treatment?
Many men want to know when they can return to having sex after prostate cancer treatment -- whether surgery, radiation, or another form of treatment.
Answer:
When you can return to your normal level of sexual activity following treatment for prostate cancer has a lot to do with which type of treatment you underwent.
For men who have undergone prostate cancer surgery, many surgeons recommend avoiding sexual activity for several weeks (roughly 3-6) in order to allow for proper healing.
Radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy usually do not necessarily preclude men from returning fairly rapidly to their prior level of sexual activity. However, there may be side effects of these treatments (such as fatigue or erectile dysfunction) that may make sex difficult or impossible despite the lack of prohibitions by your doctor on returning to sexual activity.
If you have been treated with implanted radioactive seeds (brachytherapy), your doctor will likely give you a certain time frame where sexual activity should be avoided due to the presence of radioactivity within your prostate, as well as to allow for proper healing following the implantation procedure.
Source...