Rebuilding Intimacy for Cancer Survivors - Interview with Tiffany Yelverton
If you're a cancer survivor...
Did your doctor talk to you about how cancer treatment was going to affect your sex life?
Many patients NEVER have that conversation.
“After money, sex is the #1 thing that survivors are concerned about,” says intimacy consultant Tiffany Yelverton, “and many doctors don’t really discuss it.”
Not because cancer treatments have no impact on intimacy—they DO—but because many doctors don’t know what to say.
The doctors Tiffany works with tell her they got about 6 hours of sex education in medical school.
So when a patient is concerned about, say, the way a mastectomy will impact her sex life, some doctors can be dismissive.
“I’ve had oncologists tell my clients, ‘Oh, it’s just a breast, get over it,'” Tiffany says. “It would be like a man having his testicles cut off and [the doctor say], ‘It’s just your testicles. It’s no big deal.'”
That’s why good doctors bring together experts in areas they’re not familiar with—nutrition, mental health, sexuality—to support their patients’ wellness during recovery.
Through her foundation Sexy Survivors, Tiffany supports cancer survivors in restoring sexual wellness, so they can enjoy intimacy again.
In this week’s YBTV interview, she shares tips for dealing with vaginal dryness, painful sex, feeling disconnected from your body, and rebuilding your connection with your partner.
She's also offering a free sensate touch activity to help you connect to your body in a way that boosts your confidence and self-love. Get it here.
Empowering you to live your best life after diagnosis. Founder of The Heal Your Life Community. A calm voice of Diagnosis Action Nurse, Mom, Travel Foodie
3 年Such an important topic. The subliminal (and occasionally blatant) message to survivors is “be thankful to be alive…and don’t have too many expectations.” Reconnecting sexually can foster deep healing from the whole cancer experience, for the survivors and their partners.