Sex and Cancer Talks, Podcasts, Videos and Events

Read about the author Samantha Evans

As a former nurse and sexual health and pleasure expert, I often give talks about Sex and Cancer, to healthcare professionals, cancer charities we work with and people who have/have had cancer.

Cancer and the treatment of cancer has a huge impact upon sexual health and pleasure, yet many people struggle to regain their sexual function ad reclaim their sex life following their treatment because healthcare professionals often do not have the confidence or practical knowledge to open the conversation.

This is why talking about sex, signposting patients to websites such as Jo Divine, to pelvic health physios and psychosexual therapists is important to help people to enjoy pleasurable sex in whatever way they can. We have many articles on our blog about sex and cancer with practical advice, information, product recommendations, charities and support groups and personal experiences from people of all ages who have had cancer or are living with cancer.

Talks

In 2015 I gave my first talk at the Survivorship Multidisciplinary Conference for National Forum of Gynaecology Oncology Nurses and the British Gynaecology Cancer Society about the health brochure and related articles on Jo Divine magazine offering help, advice practical tips and links to suitable products for women who experience vaginal tightness, vaginal dryness, post op scarring, desensitisation and pelvic floor weakness.

I gave a talk at the Ovacome Health and Wellbeing day in March 2019, an amazing charity supporting women during ovarian cancer and following treatment. Many women and their partners struggle to regain their sex lives due to the impact of treatment, so we talked about alternative ways beyond penetrative sex to regain sexual function and to gradually return to being sexual intimate.

I joined the Ovacome wellbeing webinar in April 2020 talking about sexual health, intimacy and pleasure where we had lots of really great questions which I hopefully answered. This was repeated in August 2020, and you can find a link to the webinar at Ovacome.

I gave a talk at the Guy’s Cancer Academy Sexual Wellbeing and Cancer on Tuesday 4th February 2020 where I spoke to 100 healthcare professionals and several patient speakers about regaining sexual function and enjoying intimacy and pleasure post treatment and when living with cancer. I talked about the importance of using pH balanced sexual lubricants and vaginal moisturisers, what ingredients to avoid such as glycerin, glycols and parabens, the detrimental impact of feminine hygiene products and how using suitable sex toys can really help people enjoy better sex.

It was so good to hear feedback from a group of therapeutic radiographers who said “the study day was practice changing” and one attendee said they’re going to stop recommending KY in the future and using it herself. Progress!

I was invited to join the panel at the fabulous Trekstock event Lifting the Lid on Cancer and Menopause on Wednesday 26th February 2020. It was a fantastic event, fun and informative and quite emotional at times. Lauren Mahon ( Girl vs Cancer) was such a brilliant host, so full of energy and incredibly funny, she put all the panel at ease, especially the fabulous Lydia Brain who spoke about having womb cancer at 24 and Nicky Newman who has secondary breast cancer, both incredibly inspirational and amazing women. Dr Louise Newson and Dr Heather Currie spoke about HRT myths and how many women can use local oestrogen, Dr Marie Gerval talked abut her work, ongoing research and how the Daisy Network can support anyone with premature ovarian insufficiency and early menopause.

I was the light entertainment talking about sexual health, intimacy and pleasure, the need for good intimate health, no KY, I think everyone on the panel said this, irritating lube and moisturiser ingredients, feminine hygiene products, simple sex toys, the small steps to take to get back to sex without penetration because low libido is a huge problem.

Lauren was fabulous telling everyone to masturbate and have an orgasm because it really helped her (love this woman!). I gave away numerous organic lubes, condoms and our sex toy raffle was a huge hit! I have been invited to join upcoming panel discussions, which is great. I had several emotional chats with a couple of women whom I hope will get in touch so I can help them. Talking about menopause and sex to this group of young women is so important. I find it really frustrating that they are often left to struggle with their symptoms, no one advises them about sexual intimacy and pleasure, yet this should be a compulsory part of any cancer treatment whatever your age, sexual orientation or gender. It is a privilege to be working with such a fabulous charity, who are filling the gap that other cancer charities and HCPs are missing.

I joined the panel at Trekstock to talk about Lifting the Lid on Sex and Cancer on 28th September 2021 and joined Trekstock for their 5-week menopause course online to talk about sex and menopause on 4th October 2021. This course was so successful, it was repeated in February 2022 and November 2022

The fabulous Cheryl Johnson invited me to run a Sex and Cancer session as part of Cancer Creativity in December 2020 which included a quiz and sex toys as prizes!

I spoke to the Macmillan team at the North Devon NHS Trust about sex and cancer in June 2021, including ways to open the conversation including recommending irritant free lubes, moisturisers, dilators, suitable sex toys and how patients can regain their sexual function and enjoy sex post treatment. I joined them in September 2022 for their revalidation study day

I talked about Sex and Womb Cancer at the Peaches Trust, a womb cancer charity, as part of their online Wellness Day on 29th September 2021 for their members and joined them in September 2022 for their Wellbeing Day online. You can find my video with Lavinia Winch on their website.

I was invited to join the secondary breast cancer charity, Make 2nds Count, to talk at their Wellbeing week in February 2022.

I gave a talk at the Young Breast Cancer Group at Guys Hospital in September 2022

I gave a talk to Life After Cancer in October 2022 for their Wellbeing day online

I joined @Rad_Chat for an IG Live in December 2022 with Jo McNamara and Naman Julka Anderson, to talk about sex and cancer following radiotherapy. They are so proactive in opening this conversation and teaching students.

Podcasts

I had so much fun recording a podcast episode for Don’t Ignore The Elephant with the fabulous Dr Liz O’Riorden, a breast surgeon who has had breast cancer. We had a lively and informative chat about enjoying sex after breast cancer treatment, which was aired in October 2021. The feedback for our episode has been amazing, with people getting in touch for advice about sex toys, dilators, irritant free lubricants and vaginal moisturisers. Many said they are now having intimate conversations and feel positive that they can reclaim their sex life after treatment now they have the right advice.

I joined Naman Julka- Anderson, a Therapeutic Radiographer on his RadTalk podcast to chat about sexual health, intimacy and pleasure and the impact of late effects following radiotherapy including the importance of why ingredients matter in sexual lubricants and moisturisers, how sex toys and dilators can help people regain their sexual function, so they can enjoy pleasurable sex and why talking about sex, offering practical advice and signposting patients to websites such as Jo Divine needs to be a compulsory part of cancer care. Naman is really proactive in opening the conversation about enjoying pleasurable sex to his patients and signposting them to me and Jo Divine. He is now encouraging other therapeutic radiographers to have the confidence to have this conversation with their patients too.

I joined the fabulous Dani Binnington on The Menopause and Cancer Podcast and Dr Charlotte Gooding, Menopause GP to chat about Cancer and Sexual health, Intimacy, and Pleasure in Spetember 2022

Videos

I wrote an blog for Chris’ Cancer Community. Chris and I created a video about Sex and Cancer.

I recorded a video with the fabulous Elvin Box about the impact having Prostate Cancer had upon his sexual function, intimacy and pleasure, mental health and relationship too. The health brochure was sent to a female prostate cancer group to help partners continue to enjoy sexual intimacy and pleasure with their partner