Cancer disease and treatment can alter many aspects of sexual health, but patient concerns often remain unverbalized and unaddressed. Oncology nurses can push through awkwardness and provide resources to help patients rediscover intimacy during and after cancer. ONS member Marloe Esch, RN, BSN, OCN®, breast care nurse navigator at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin and member of the Southeastern Wisconsin ONS Chapter, joins Stephanie Jardine, BSN, RN, oncology clinical specialist at ONS, to discuss how nurses can talk to their patients about sex and strategies for becoming more comfortable with those conversations. The advertising messages in this episode are paid for by Breast Cancer Index.

Episode Notes

Check out these resources from today's episode:

• NCPD contact hours are not available for this episode.
• ONS Voice article: Get Comfortable Talking to Patients About Sexuality During and After Cancer Treatment
• ONS Voice article: Lidocaine Reduces Pain During Sexual Intercourse for Breast Cancer Survivors
• ONS Voice article: Sex Is an Important Dimension of Cancer Psychosocial Care That We Need to Stop Neglecting
• Additional ONS articles related to sexual health in cancer care
• ONS book: Breaking the Silence on Cancer and Sexuality: A Handbook for Healthcare Providers (second edition)
• ONS clinical practice resource: Prostate Cancer and Sexual Health
• American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists
• American Cancer Society: Managing female and male sexual problems related to cancer
• American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines on addressing sexual problems in patients with cancer
• Enriching Communication Skills for Health Professionals in Oncofertility (ECHO)
• National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines on management of sexual dysfunction
• National LGBT Cancer Network
• North American Menopause Society
• PLISSIT model for sexual health
• Scientific Network on Female Sexual Health and Cancer
• Self-compassion research by Kristin Neff, PhD
• University of Michigan certificate programs on sexual health

To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities.

To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email [email protected].