chemo and Sex
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From: Geoff Lane on 7 Aug 2008 05:34 My wife is on a clinical trial and is getting Duxobubicin and infosfamide together. During the chat with the nurse before admission the nurse stated a condom would need to be used for sex. We didn't query this at the time but now I am curious; What could be the effects on me if a condom was not used, I am 59 years of age so fertility is not an issue. Geoff Lane
From: Steph on 7 Aug 2008 10:58 "Geoff Lane" <geoff(a)3lanes.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message news:gfOdneF8zJoNXAfVnZ2dneKdnZydnZ2d(a)eclipse.net.uk... > My wife is on a clinical trial and is getting Duxobubicin and infosfamide > together. > > During the chat with the nurse before admission the nurse stated a condom > would need to be used for sex. > > We didn't query this at the time but now I am curious; > > What could be the effects on me if a condom was not used, I am 59 years of > age so fertility is not an issue. > > Geoff Lane Well, Id ask the nurse, but it sounds like nonsense to me. We certainly never give that advice to our patients
From: Geoff Lane on 7 Aug 2008 11:03 Steph wrote: >> During the chat with the nurse before admission the nurse stated a >> condom would need to be used for sex. >> What could be the effects on me if a condom was not used, I am 59 >> years of age so fertility is not an issue. > Well, Id ask the nurse, but it sounds like nonsense to me. We certainly > never give that advice to our patients Caught us out a wee bit, as my wife was going in for her first chemo session I didn't want to appear to make it an issue of it; hence not asking any further. I appreciate body fluids etc but my thinking was any chemo drug that I might come in to contact with would be miniscule. Thanks for prompt reply. Geoff Lane
From: J on 7 Aug 2008 15:47 Geoff Lane wrote: > My wife is on a clinical trial and is getting Duxobubicin and > infosfamide together. > > During the chat with the nurse before admission the nurse stated a > condom would need to be used for sex. > > We didn't query this at the time but now I am curious; > > What could be the effects on me if a condom was not used, I am 59 years > of age so fertility is not an issue. > > Geoff Lane In case she gets a yeast infection, if her blood counts go low? J
From: J on 8 Aug 2008 07:11
Geoff Lane wrote: > My wife is on a clinical trial and is getting Duxobubicin and > infosfamide together. > > During the chat with the nurse before admission the nurse stated a > condom would need to be used for sex. > > We didn't query this at the time but now I am curious; > > What could be the effects on me if a condom was not used, I am 59 years > of age so fertility is not an issue. > > Geoff Lane Does she still have her ovaries? J http://empowher.com/encyclopedia/coping-sexual-problems-related-chemotherapy {Excerpts] Men Chemotherapy drugs may lower the number of sperm cells and reduce their ability to move. These changes can result in infertility, which may be temporary or permanent. Infertility affects a man's ability to father a child, but not a man's ability to have sexual intercourse. Other possible effects of these drugs are problems with getting or keeping an erection and damage to the chromosomes, which could lead to birth defects. What You Can Do: * Before starting treatment, talk to your doctor about the possibility of sperm banking if infertility may be a problem. Banking is a procedure that freezes sperm for future use. * Use birth control with your partner during treatment. Ask your doctor how long you need to use birth control. * Use a condom during sexual intercourse for the first 48 hours after the last dose of chemotherapy because some of the chemotherapy may end up in the sperm. Effects on the Ovaries Anticancer drugs can affect the ovaries and reduce the amount of hormones they produce. Some women find that their menstrual periods become irregular or stop completely while having chemotherapy. Related side effects may be temporary or permanent. * Infertility. Damage to the ovaries may result in infertility, the inability to become pregnant. The infertility can be either temporary or permanent. Women of child-bearing potential who wish to preserve their ability to become pregnant have an option of embryo cryopreservation. A referral to a fertility expert will be needed in such situations. * Ovarian failure. A woman's age and the drugs and dosages used will determine whether she experiences an ovarian faillure while on chemotherapy. Chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea (absence of menstruation) is a well-recognized side effect of chemotherapy. Some women develop complete and permanent ovarian failure (menopause) during chemotherapy. Other women may stop menstruating during therapy, but then later (months to years) the ovarian function, menstrual cycles, and fertility may return. Pregnancy Although pregnancy may be possible during chemotherapy, it still is not advisable because some anticancer drugs may cause birth defects. Doctors advise women of childbearing age, from the teens through the end of menopause, to use some method of birth control throughout their treatment, such as condoms, spermicidal agents, diaphragms, or birth control pills. Birth control pills may not be appropriate for some women, such as those with breast cancer. Ask your doctor about these contraceptive options. If a woman is pregnant when her cancer is discovered, it may be possible to delay chemotherapy until after the baby is born. For a woman who needs treatment sooner, the possible effects of chemotherapy on the fetus need to be evaluated. |