The “great taboo” of sexuality in female cancers

For our podcast Everything is explained, who talks about intimacy, we talk to Isabelle Guyomarch, founder and president of the Ozalys laboratory. This aggressive breast cancer survivor is the author of Fighter (Recherche-Midi, 17 euros). A testimony in which he talks about the disease, and in particular “one of the great taboos of gynecological cancer, the intimacy of women”.

In this audio interview, Isabelle Guyomarch first of all recalls “80% of breast cancers are hormone dependent and the prevention of cancer recurrence involves the prescription of hormonal therapy”, that is, a treatment, very often pharmacological, which consists in preventing the stimulating action of female hormones on cancer cells.

However, these treatments act on the urogenital sphere, and in particular on the vulvovaginal mucous membranes, which thin and dry because they no longer receive estrogen and progesterone.

Sudden Menopause and Treatments

The consequence: without hormones there is a sudden menopause, with “sometimes severe consequences, urinary incontinence and sexual problems”, he points out in this book. These women may experience painful penetration when they continue to have sex.

For postmenopausal women, there are hormone replacement treatments, but they are criticized by specialists. The consequence: “The woman who wants to keep her pleasure does it with fear and a sense of guilt”, he complains. “After struggling to survive and sometimes losing a part of our femininity, we are therefore doomed to the absence of a fulfilling sexuality,” adds Isabelle Guyomarch.

A “condemnation of the absence of satisfying sexuality”

Isabelle Guyomarch advocates for a laser technique that allows a restoration of the vaginal mucosa “, an operation that saved [sa] femininity, “she says in her book. In this episode she asks for reimbursement for this treatment, which is now very expensive. Because, according to Isabelle Guyomarch, in addition to the comfort of this area, on returning to a painless sex life, this vaginal laser technique reduces possible recurrent infections, discontinuation of treatment and even depression.

Regarding hormone therapy, which can be poorly supported, he says that “often, the cause of stopping hormone therapy treatments is a gynecological cause.” “I qualify it as a public health problem [qui va au-delà de la sexualité]. Help women resist [les traitements] and to be careful, it’s a public health issue, and there are means, whereas there was nothing until a few years ago. “

Sexuality, public health

While men who have suffered from prostate cancer are being prescribed and reimbursed for Viagra, Isabelle Guyomarch believes that “for women… Nothing. For me this is a fundamental injustice. Our sexuality is invisible and our pleasure is still taboo ”. In this interview, he deplores: “the research on female pleasure and female sexuality [pour les survivantes de cancer] it comes down to nothing ”.

Regarding this lack of research on female pleasure, she assumes that “there is a taboo. Female sexuality is limited, in the general spirit, to penetration. And if we facilitate the penetration with a lubricant, everything is fine. But this is not enough. We need treatments that are much more effective than simple lubricants, especially in these situations of intense menopause [engendrée par les traitements contre le cancer] “.

To hear Isabelle Guyomarch’s testimony, it’s as easy as clicking in the audio player above.