Sexual and Fertility Problems for women due to Radiation Therapy

Problems for women include:

• Pain or discomfort when having sex
• Radiation to the shaded area may cause sexual and fertility changes.
• Vaginal itching, burning, dryness, or atrophy (when the muscles in the vagina become weak and the walls of the vagina become thin)
• Vaginal stenosis, when the vagina becomes less elastic, narrows, and gets shorter
• Symptoms of menopause for women not yet in menopause. These include hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and not having your period.
• Not being able to get pregnant after radiation therapy is over