Changes in your sex life

Nasal cancer or paranasal sinus cancer and its treatment might cause changes to your appearance and how you feel about yourself. This can affect your sex life. But there is support available to help you cope.

Physical effects

After treatment for nasal or sinus cancer it might take some time for scars to heal if you had surgery. Or you might have some skin soreness if you had radiotherapy. You might need to wait for any scars or soreness to heal before it is comfortable to kiss. You can still be intimate with your partner through cuddling or touching though.

How you might feel

Changes to your appearance due to the cancer or its treatment might affect the way you feel about yourself. You might also worry about how you think others see you. This can make you nervous of intimacy or you might feel less confident about sex. 

Cancer can also cause many different emotions such as fear and anger that can make intimacy more difficult.

Talking to your partner

Your partner might also have very strong emotions. Talking openly with them can help them to understand how you feel. It can also help you to deal with any fears that they might reject you. Most of the time partners want to try to understand what you're going through and help if they can. This experience is also new to them. 

Who can help

If you find it difficult to talk to your partner you could try:

• talking to your doctor or specialist nurse
• getting your GP to refer you to a counsellor

More information

We have more information about sex, sexuality and cancer in our general cancer section.