How Prostate Cancer and Testosterone Loss Can Affect Both Men and Women

Most people think of him as a man's disease, but may affect prostate cancer and men and women.

Indeed, this disease affects the majority of women who know and love the men who fight with prostate cancer and treatment side effects. Even more than other types of cancer, it tends to change the intimate personal relations between men and their spouses and partners. And women are also affected when cancer and its treatment side effects strike their fathers, sons, brothers and other male relatives and friends.

prostate cancer effects on women

Prostate cancer can affect both men and women in several ways. For example, most men experience erectile dysfunction (ED) after prostate cancer surgery or radiation. About 70 percent of men develop ED immediately after surgery, and about 50 percent of patients who underwent radiotherapy developed ED, usually within three to five years after treatment. How could it fail to have impact not only them but their wives or partners?

When the ED or impotence occurs, all too many women survivors have to deal with their spouses' self-doubts about their masculinity. On the other hand, man's loss of self-esteem tends to cut into the intimacy he and his wife once enjoyed. As a cancer survivor prostate, I initially had a lot of self-doubt, without being aware of it. for this reason I withdrew with his wife physically months after my surgery. this is an adverse impact on both of us.

In addition, the disease is to reduce the impact of sexual intimacy, many women are also affected by their husband urinary problems. These questions may be short term or long term, as a permanent incontinence occurs in 5 percent to 15 percent of men after prostate cancer surgery (radical prostatectomy) or radioterapijom.Čovjeka incontinence can be a problem for women, if you feel compelled to clean up after their husbands.

for two weeks after my surgery in 2007, my wife lovingly took it upon themselves to clean my catheter bag. In the weeks that followed, while I was still not "tight", she put her urine-stained underwear in the washing machine. Even when a woman takes on care-giving role, she May have difficulty dealing with your partner self-esteem issues that arise from incontinence.

Despite the high survival rate for prostate cancer, most women find it disturbing, if not downright intimidating to learn that the man they love has cancer. Women often experience anxiety and stress just knowing that someone like under duress.

Testosterone Connection

How strange that a broad respect for the web site, HealthandAge.com, said: "There are certain health conditions that only affect humans, such as prostate cancer and low testosterone." Nothing could be further from the truth, as I have already shown.

What is testosterone - is it true that low testosterone affects only men? It's hard! First of all, a man of testosterone decreases about one percent per year from the time he reaches 40 years. Prostate cancer and treatment can increase the pace of human testosterone loss. I know firsthand about that, because of hormone therapy after my diagnosis, I went down to almost castrate testosterone levels.

Decreased testosterone often leads to increased male anxiety, low libido, increase muscle flab, and increased distractibility. Anyone in close relationship with such people, especially women and partners, can not help but be affected during what I call "MANopause." Add this entry of women in perimenopause and menopause - the time when many prostate cancer cases occur among people -. And you've got the real cause of marital conflict

And what about women testosterone? Just as men's testosterone levels decline with age, so that women testosterone. Of course, her testosterone level was significantly lower than men to begin with. But women continue to lose testosterone, starting about 40 years, along with the loss of estrogen as they age, the influence of a woman's life, often reducing their energy, libido and physical abilities.

What men and women can do

The first step is for couples to recognize that hormonal changes and prostate cancer can affect both men and women. Both partners should seek ways to lessen the impact on their lives and their relationships. In addition to medical prescriptions and equipment options include counseling, support groups and sex therapy to counter the effects of treatment and hormonal changes. Armed with an understanding and knowledge, couples can restore their intimacy, strengthen their relationships and rebuild their lives.