Sex lives ‘fall apart’ for breast cancer sufferers

Some 54 per cent said their sex lives had suffered compared to 30 per cent of women of all ages living with the disease.

The poll of 532 women for Macmillan Cancer Support also found 16 per cent of women had sex less often because it was too physically painful.

Meanwhile, 16 per cent said it was due to their partner wanting to have sex less often, 45 per cent blamed feeling body conscious and 69 per cent admitted to having a lower sex drive.

Almost a third (30 per cent) of women who were diagnosed 10 years ago or more said they had sex less often as a result of their cancer.

Dr Daria Bonanno, consultant clinical psychologist at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Many breast cancer survivors find their sex lives can fall apart. As well as dealing with pain, they may find scarring from surgery or radiotherapy has affected their body confidence or treatment has dampened their libido.”