Community CE Event - Reconnection: The Sexual Health Needs of Pre-Menopausal Breast Cancer Survivors

LECTURE #2

Reconnection: The Sexual Health Needs of Pre-Menopausal Breast Cancer Survivors

Presenters:  Cheryl Fisher, PhD, NCC, LCMHC, LCPC, ACS and Heather Lamb, RN, MSN, FNP-C

According to the American Cancer Society (2020), 26,393 women under the age of 45 are impacted by breast cancer annually. Treatments include mastectomies and oophorectomies resulting in infertility, and the administration of medications that catapult young women into early menopause. Even with reconstructive surgery, patients are left with decreased neurological sensation. Struggling with body image, decreased libido and little follow up around sexual health, young women and their partners experience isolation from, and collapse of their relationships. Dr. Cheryl Fisher, Director of the Online MA in Clinical Counseling Program, and Oncology Nurse Practitioner, Heather Lamb will examine the physical, psychological and social implications of breast cancer treatment on sexual health. As sensual and sexual beings, sexual health is an integral part of the human experience and overall life satisfaction. Based on their research and case studies, presenters will provide practical ways that clinicians can identify, validate, and advocate for the sexual health of breast cancer survivors.