Managing side effects of cervical cancer treatment

Treatment for cervical cancer can cause a range of side effects. There are different side effects depending on whether you were treated with surgery, radiation therapy, or drug therapies. This section explains changes relating to sex, intimacy and fertility. 

Vaginal changes

Treatment for cervical cancer often causes vaginal side effects. Surgery may shorten the vagina, and radiation therapy can narrow the vagina, causing thinning of the walls and dryness.

Scar tissue from treatment can leave the vagina shorter and narrower. This is called vaginal stenosis. It can make sexual penetration difficult and painful and also make vaginal examinations uncomfortable.

Your doctor or nurse may suggest you use a vaginal dilator to help keep the walls of the vagina open and supple. Dilators are tube-shaped devices made from plastic or silicone, designed to gently stretch the vagina. Some people find using a dilator challenging. Your doctor, nurse or physiotherapist can provide practical advice on how to use them.

Sex and desire after treatment

How you might feel

It’s common to feel shocked or upset about having cancer in such an intimate part of your body. Changes to how your body looks and feels, along with treatment-related hormone changes, can affect your confidence and interest in sex. You might also feel embarrassed or unsure about asking for help. These feelings are natural.

Being intimate

Give yourself time. Touching, hugging and kissing can help you feel close without expecting sex. You might try oral sex, mutual masturbation, or sex toys. Use water or silicone-based lubricants to make penetration more comfortable. If you have vaginal dryness, talk to your doctor about hormone creams or vaginal moisturisers.

Talk to someone

It can help to share how you’re feeling about the diagnosis and treatment side effects, and how it may be impacting your relationships and sex life. Talking with a professional such as a counsellor, sex therapist or psychologist can help. Ask your doctor for a referral. You can also call Cancer Connect on 13 11 20 for more information.

Fertility issues

If your uterus is removed or you have radiation therapy to the uterus and cervix, you will not be able to conceive children or carry a pregnancy. Before treatment starts, ask your doctor or a fertility specialist about what options are available to you. Being told that your reproductive organs will be removed or will no longer work can be devastating.

Even if your family is complete or you did not want children, you may still feel a sense of loss and grief. These reactions are common. Speaking to a counsellor or gynaecological oncology nurse about your feelings can be helpful.