According to one study, more than half of men with prostate cancer also have erectile dysfunction, according to research.
This article examines how people can cope with the potential side effects of prostate cancer treatment on their s£xual lives. We also talk about the relationship between prostate cancer and lovemaking activity. If prostate cancer treatment causes difficulty in achieving or maintaining an erection, several strategies can help a person regain normal sexual function.
Some medications can help you maintain healthy erections. These are some examples:
1. Oral medications such as sildenafil citrate (Viagra), avanafil citrate (Spedra), tadalafil citrate (Cialis), and vardenafil citrate (Levitra)
2. Topical creams that can be applied directly to the penis, such as alprostadil (Vitaros)
3. Alprostadil, a medication available in injections and pellets.
People can also try some physical or “mechanical” therapies. These are some examples:
1. Vacuum pumps used performed to draw blood into and harden the penis
2. Implants, which a person may consider if other treatments have failed to produce satisfactory results.
With the availability of so many effective treatments, survivors of prostate cancer can make a full recovery. The ability to have an erection and enjoy lovemaking activity again is one of the many benefits of rehabilitation therapy. Alternatively, masturbation can aid in the development and maintenance of an erection. If you want to get more blood to your penis, try masturbating.
The services of a s£x therapist, for instance, could be of great help to some people who could use some psychological guidance. Those whose relationships have been strained by the effects of cancer and its treatment may find this helpful.
Couples therapy may help partners adjust sexual and other relationship dynamics in response to physiological shifts. Couples in need of guidance in their therapy sessions can look up a certified s£x therapist in their area through the American Association for S£xual and Relationship Therapists (AASECT).
One way to deal with the inevitable changes that will occur as a result of prostate cancer treatment is to be prepared for them. It can also be helpful to learn from the insights of those who have been through something similar. Men who have suffered from erectile dysfunction as a result of prostate cancer have opened up about their experiences in video interviews. The non-profit website healthtalk.org hosts a selection of these recordings.
Can the risk of prostate cancer be reduced by masturbation?
One such study, which used data from over 32,000 men, investigated whether or not frequent ejaculation plays a role in warding off prostate cancer. Researchers have reported that they have found evidence that suggests regular ejaculation may reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Researchers found that for every 1,000 men aged 20-29, 2.39 fewer developed prostate cancer if they ejaculated 21 times or more per month than if they ejaculated 4-7 times per month (Trusted Source).
There were 3.89 fewer cases of prostate cancer per 1,000 men in this age group than there were in the previous age group, 40-49. We don’t know what’s causing these findings, but one theory points to prostate stagnation. Reduced ejaculatory frequency may increase prostate secretions, which may promote cancer.
Prior research shed light on other possible aspects of prostate cancer, including how regular lovemaking activity in younger years can increase the risk of prostate cancer later in life. The study did find, however, that these exercises offered some protection against the onset of the disease in later life.
Roots of s£x issues
Many men have s£xual problems after undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, but this is usually not because of the cancer itself.
An enlarged prostate gland is the primary cause of urinary retention and other symptoms associated with prostate cancer. The enlargement starts to restrict the urethra’s ability to drain the body’s urine. A person’s s£x life shouldn’t be affected by urinary symptoms.
More aggressive cancer treatments, such as surgery, radiation therapy, or hormone therapy, have been linked to erectile dysfunction. Erections are regulated by nerves that are located close to the prostate gland. In this regard, erectile dysfunction is a known side effect of prostate removal surgery.
Men with aggressive prostate cancer that is likely to grow or spread are the only ones who typically benefit from this type of surgery. However, younger men with prostate cancer may also opt for it. When possible, surgeons performing a nerve-sparing prostatectomy will take extra precautions to protect the nerves responsible for maintaining an erection. However, procedures that spare nerves are not always feasible.
Although the risk of erectile dysfunction will be reduced, it is possible that some cancerous tissue will be left behind if this treatment is used. The greatest risk is associated with surgery, but all prostate cancer treatments can potentially diminish libido.
Erectile dysfunction may occur as a side effect of the following treatments:
• probe-based cryotherapy for prostate cancer
• Intensified X-rays
• prostate brachytherapy, in which radioactive seeds are implanted by a surgeon in the prostate
• therapy involving hormones
It’s possible that hormonal therapy will cause problems with getting and keeping an erection. The treatment, which includes the removal of testicles and the use of antiandrogen drugs, can also decrease a patient’s desire to engage in lovemaking activity and lead to fertility issues.
When compared to other forms of radiation therapy, brachytherapy is safer in terms of the possibility of erectile dysfunction. A lack of erection in men with prostate cancer is extremely unusual, as was previously described in this article.
On the other hand, prostrate cancer has been linked to emotional distress. The diagnosis and subsequent treatment for some men can cause depression and anxiety, which can dampen their desire for lovemaking activity.
The term “watchful waiting” or “active surveillance” is sometimes used to describe the approach taken by some men to dealing with a very slowly progressing prostate cancer. If that’s the case, these methods of care may not lead to any s£x issues.
Oral and genital effects
Male sexual orientation may shift for a variety of reasons after a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Insight into the potential hazards could aid in the management of such outcomes. If the prostate gland is taken out in its entirety to treat cancer, ejaculation will no longer be an option. The man may instead experience a “dry orgasm.”
Retrograde ejaculation is a condition that can develop after certain surgical procedures. Due to this disorder, the male reproductive fluid (sperm) remains inside the body during an orgasmic act. To be eliminated, it is instead stored in the bladder and passed in the urine.
Smaller ejaculations could be the side effect of other treatments for prostate cancer. The potency of climactic orgasmic experiences may also be mitigated by hormone therapy.
Prostate cancer and the gland that produces it
Just below the bladder, the prostate gland is a male reproductive organ. There is typically a regularity and smoothness to the gland’s surface. Approximately the size of a walnut describes the prostate.
During ejaculation, the prostate gland secretes a clear fluid into the urethra that accounts for up to a third of the semen. The fluid’s transporting and propelling abilities are two of its primary roles.
Ejaculatory drive of semen is aided by the prostate as well.
Explain prostate cancer to me.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in American men, after skin cancer (CDC).
The development of prostate cancer is triggered by the unchecked growth of glandular tissue. Caused by this, a tumor forms, blocking blood and nutrients from reaching healthy tissue in the surrounding area.
Most cases of prostate cancer are acinar adenocarcinomas, which are slow-growing tumors. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that most men with prostate cancer are over 65 years old and typically die from another cause, despite the fact that prostate cancer kills thousands of men annually in the United States.
There is no evidence that prostate cancer can be spread through s£xual contact.
Symptoms
Prostate cancer rarely manifests itself in any noticeable way. Symptoms, when they occur, may include:
° irregular or weak urination
° leaking urine
° a sensation that one has not completely emptied one’s bladder of urine
° trying very hard to urinate
° urine with blood in it
Outlook
Prostate cancer and its treatments may impair a man’s ability to achieve and maintain an erection, as well as cause decreased s£xual desire. The ejaculation process can be disrupted by a variety of cancer surgeries.
Erectile dysfunction can be treated with medications and physical treatments such as Viagra and related pills and creams. Vacuum pumps and implants are examples of these.
Masturbation may also aid in the promotion of healthy blood flow to the genitals, which can aid in erectile function. Couples therapy may also assist in dealing with the psychological aspects of cancer treatment that can strain a relationship.
