Journal readers may be interested to know about a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, a cohort study of over two thousand women who had suffered from childhood cancer compared with their female siblings, which demonstrated an excess of psychosexual morbidity in those who had suffered cancer as children.

It is known that the treatment of cancer can affect sexual functioning in a variety of ways, from premature menopause to the direct effects on the genital tract; however in these women, it would appear that the effects of the cancer, and treatment, persisted into adulthood. Compared with their sisters, they reported having less sex, less desire for sexual and less satisfaction with sexual intercourse. Speaking to Reuters Health, the study lead Jennifer Ford, expressed her surprised at the persistence of these effects.

About ten percent of women in the study experienced premature menopause, and only half of these were taking some form of hormone replacement; although this did not seem to improve the outcomes measured.

The study did not measure similar outcomes in men, so it is not clear if their experience is similar; however, the study does suggest that sexual function should be addressed in adolescents who have suffered cancer, and opened up for discussion with those who are facing cancer treatment.