Sexual Health and Cancer Course

Welcome to the Course

Welcome to the Sexual Health and Cancer course. Sexual health is an important aspect of cancer supportive care and survivorship, encompassing the impacts of cancer and cancer treatment. It is essential for healthcare professionals to ask about and help support people affected by cancer to identify and manage these concerns. This course will equip you with fundamental knowledge and tools required for you to start a conversation about sexual health and know what to do when sexual health concerns are raised.  

The course is part of a larger education program – the Sexual Function Intimacy Concerns after Cancer (SexFICC) program.

SexFICC draws on the experiences of five Priority Populations as outlined in the Cancer Plan:  

• Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) between
• Older adults (65+)
• Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people
• LGBTIQA+ people
• People with a disability

Content warning

This course contains information about sexual health, sexual behaviours, sexual function, intimate relationships, and body changes. Content may be sensitive to some individuals. Healthcare professionals are encouraged to approach this material with empathy and an openness to perspectives, bodies, relationships, and experiences that may differ from their own or dominant clinical norms. Learning about cancer and cancer treatments may connect you with personal experiences of cancer, either for yourself or somebody close to you, which may be emotionally challenging or distressing. If this occurs, we encourage you to engage with the material at your own pace, step away if needed, and consider seeking support from a service available to you.

Acknowledgements

This program received funding through the Cancer Patient Support Program - an Australian Government Initiative. The views expressed in this course do not represent those of the Australian Government.