Effects of Radiotherapy on Sexuality and Fertility
Contrary to popular belief, sexual intercourse is not prohibited during the radiotherapy application process. There is nothing that could threaten sexual life, especially if radiotherapy is applied outside the hip area. However, problems may occur in this regard due to the decrease in sexual desire (libido) experienced due to psychological disorders caused by the disease and some side effects of radiotherapy applied to the hip area. Radiotherapy applied to the hip area in women may cause results such as vaginal dryness and narrowing of the vagina, which will negatively affect sexual intercourse. There are special vaginal creams that can minimize these problems. Radiotherapy applied to the hip area in men may cause temporary or permanent erection problems.
Radiation therapy applied to the hip area also has negative effects on fertility. Ovaries in women and testicles in men are organs with very low resistance to radiotherapy. Even in small doses, both ovaries and testicles lose function. In women, periodic menstrual cycles first become irregular and then stop due to the ovaries being affected. Early menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, feeling of distress, mental disorder, and vaginal dryness appear. In this case, of course, the fertility function will also be affected. For women who are planning to have children in the future, before starting hip radiotherapy, it is possible to move the ovaries out of the radiotherapy area with a minor surgical intervention and then put them back in place after radiotherapy. Thus, the patient's fertility function is not affected.
Radiation therapy to the hip area carries similar risks for men. If the testicles are within the area of ​​radiotherapy, sperm will be damaged even at low doses. To prevent this, special equipment can be used to protect the testicles from radiation, and sperm banks can also be used before radiotherapy.
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