Macmillan has teamed up with the UK’s leading sexual wellness brand, Lovehoney — in a first of its kind partnership for both organisations — to encourage more people to have open conversations around sex and cancer and access vital support.
Tens of thousands of people with cancer in the UK are ‘suffering in silence’ with concerns around sex and intimacy — facing ‘rock bottom’ self-confidence and serious worries about their sex lives or romantic relationships — a leading charity warns.
New figures released today by Macmillan Cancer Support found that almost a quarter (23 per cent) of people with cancer in the UK — equivalent to around 700,000 people — have serious concerns about sex, loss of libido or fertility as a result of their diagnosis or treatment[i].
Among this group, almost two thirds of people are struggling with the physical effects of treatment on their ability to be intimate (62 per cent), one in three (34 per cent) feel less confident about themselves, and over a quarter (29 per cent) are concerned about their appearance or desirability[ii]. For some (7 per cent), it’s concerns around feeling pressure to have sex or be intimate when they don’t want to that is causing stress.
However, only two in five (39 per cent) of those who want help with concerns around sex or fertility have had any support, leaving tens of thousands of people with cancer trying to manage these issues themselves[iii].
The charity warns of the potential impact this is having on people’s wellbeing, as further data shows that more than a quarter (28 per cent) of those with serious sex or fertility concerns say they are worried about the negative impact on their relationship with their partner, including feeling distanced, growing apart or feeling unsupported[iv].
Key facts
To break this cultural taboo and encourage more people to have open conversations around sex and cancer, the charity has launched a new partnership with the UK’s leading sexual wellness brand, Lovehoney.
The partnership — a first of its kind for both organisations — will shine a light on the impact cancer can have on people’s sexual wellbeing, and raise awareness of the support available, by sharing unique stories from people affected by cancer across the UK as part of a new YouTube series.
As part of the partnership, Macmillan has also launched a new sex and cancer hub on its website in the hope of encouraging more people living with cancer to talk about sex and seek the support they need.
Tracey Palmer, Macmillan Information and Support Manager at Whittington Health NHS Trust said:
“Cancer can impact a person’s life in many ways; their relationships, their bodies, how they are feeling and more. It can touch every part of what makes someone who they are. And we know that for many, sex and intimacy following a diagnosis is a huge concern and thousands of people with cancer are suffering in silence, causing a huge amount of stress and anxiety.
“We need to start talking more about sex and the very real impact cancer can have on people’s sexual wellbeing and relationships. We know that many people find it hard to raise these issues with their partner or people close to them and that’s where we can come in. No question or conversation is too big, too small or too personal on our confidential support line or our online community. Nobody should face the impact of a cancer diagnosis alone; we are here every step of the way.”
46-year-old Ali Alcock, from North Wales, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in April 2015 when she was in her late 30s. She is now in remission. Not being able to have open conversations about sex and relationships after her diagnosis had a huge impact on her wellbeing.
“It all started at the point of diagnosis for me. When discussing treatment options, the consultant wrongly assumed that a woman of my age — 37 at the time — who was single and had a son would be ok with having a hysterectomy. He couldn’t have been more wrong. It was my wonderful Macmillan Nurse, Jane, who supported me to come to terms with what was ahead for me.
“But after my hysterectomy, I felt less of a woman somehow. My confidence regarding relationships was rock bottom and I had so many questions about sex but felt like I had no one to ask. It’s just not a topic people discuss. I felt very anxious.
“When I met someone new, I finally took the plunge to speak up about how I was feeling, and it changed everything. We need to be more open about this important topic and the very real impact cancer can have on people’s sex lives. It is not something to hide away from.”
Sarah Mulindwa, Lovehoney’s sex & sexual health expert added:
“It can take a lot for people to be entirely open about their sexual wellbeing and for those who are going through challenging times, which is the case for many people living with cancer, it can become even harder. Sexual wellbeing is an important part of a person’s overall health and that’s why we’ve teamed up with Macmillan to shatter the taboos around this topic and empower more people living wityouh cancer to open up about sex and intimacy and get the support they need.”
To find out more about sex and cancer, and to access support visit macmillan.org.uk/cancerandsex
Additional statistics:
The research shows that while issues around sex, fertility and cancer impact both men and women, men with cancer are twice as likely as women to have serious concerns about these issues (33 per cent of men, compared with 15 per cent of women)[v].
References
[i] Macmillan Cancer Support/YouGov survey of 2,099 adults in the UK who have had a cancer diagnosis. Fieldwork was undertaken between 2nd January and 22nd January 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of people living with cancer in the UK (aged 18+). Survey question was as follows: “Have you had any concerns about any of the following issues in the last few weeks, which were caused or have been made worse by your experience of cancer? Please mark on the scale of 1–5, where 1 is ‘not an area of concern’ and 5 is ‘an area of great concern’.” 23% of respondents gave a score of either 4 or 5 for either ‘Sex or fertility’ or ‘Loss of libido/ sexual needs’. ‘Around 700,000 people’ figure estimated by applying the 23% to the 3 million people living with cancer in the UK. 3 million figure sourced from: Macmillan Cancer Support. Cancer prevalence. Accessed February 2024
[ii] As per ref 1. Question wording was as follows: “You said you had concerns related to libido/ sexual needs/ sex/ fertility because of your cancer diagnosis. Which, if any of the below have you had concerns about? Please select all that apply.’” Among the 23% of respondents who reported serious concerns around sex or fertility, 62% selected ‘Physical effects of my treatment on my ability to be intimate (e.g. vaginal dryness or soreness/difficulty getting or maintaining an erection)’, 34% selected ‘Lack of confidence’ and 29% selected ‘Concerns about my appearance or desirability’
[iii] As per ref 1. Relevant question wording was as follows: “Thinking about the physical and/or emotional issues that have caused you concern recently, to what extent would you like more support with each of these? (Please mark on the scale of 1–5, where 1 is ‘don’t need support at all’ and 5 is ‘want more support’)” and “Thinking about the physical and/or emotional issues that have caused you concern recently…Which, if any, have you accessed support for? Please think about any support you may have received, whether it’s from friends, family, healthcare workers or others. Please select all that apply.” Among those who had serious concerns about sex or fertility, 43% gave a score of 4–5 in terms of wanting more support. Of this group, only 39% said they had accessed support for these issues.
[iv] As per ref 1 and 2. 28% of respondents with serious concerns about sex or fertility selected ‘Negative impact on my relationship with my partner, e.g. feeling distanced or growing apart, feeling unsupported’
[v] As per ref 1.