Contemporary Sexuality - April 2009 - (Page 6) Sex After Cancer continued from page 5 “I wished someone had talked to me about how to prepare my body for intimate relations again.” — Tamika Felder Bolte suggests the question be framed in one of two ways: “How satisfied are you with your sexual self?” or “How happy are you with your sexual self?” Asking about sexuality signals to the patient that health care professionals are comfortable talking about what is sometimes an uncomfortable topic, she says. At the Mayo Clinic, Swanson focuses on educating medical staff and patients about sexuality. She’s also tracking the latest research about how new approaches, such as the use of estrogen for vaginal dryness, may help women. “The treatments are so much more sophisticated these days,” Swanson says. Online cancer sexuality education One educational solution that’s not dependent on living near a top cancer center or having the resources to pay a sexuality counselor or sex therapist is the Internet. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Schover have secured funding in recent years to pay for the development of a pair of Internet-based sexuality education offerings aimed at men and women. CAREss: Counseling About Regaining Erections and Sexual Satisfaction is a 12-week, Internet-based program that focuses on the needs of men and their wives or girlfriends. (The pro- gram targets heterosexuals.) Developed with a grant from the American Cancer Society, the program offers each partner a homepage, the ability to email a counselor individually and weekly sex therapy homework. “We want to help couples work together to choose the best possible solution to erection problems,” Schover says. Like many Internet-based medical programs, CAREss suffers from relatively high dropout rates among participants. However, cancer survivors and their partners who complete the program report improved outcomes. Schover is currently working on improving participation rates; the program is not available yet. Schover’s other project, Tendrils: Sexual Renewal for Women After Cancer, is a three-year effort funded with a $1.1 million grant from the National Cancer Institute. Due to be available in 2011 at a “relatively low cost,” Tendrils is a multimedia information and counseling tool. The Tendrils program includes interviews with 13 cancer survivors of varying ethnicities and orientations, suggestions on self-help strategies, information on seeking medical help and more. “We hope this is a practical solution to a vexing problem,” Schover says. In the meantime, cancer survivors like Felder are finding their own solutions. Or not. — Todd Melby Contemporary Sexuality seeks new Editor-in-Chief A fter almost three years, Contemporary Sexuality’s wonderful editor-inchief, Annette Owens, is stepping down. The Board of Directors of AASECT is seeking a new editor-in-chief to begin July 1, 2009. The editor-in-chief works closely with authors, the senior writer, and editorial committee to produce our outstanding monthly newsletter. In consultation with the Communications Chair, the editor-in-chief is responsible for the final content of Contemporary Sexuality. An outstanding candidate will have an advanced degree, at least three years of publications experience and five years in the sexuality field, and 10 – 15 hours of volunteer time a month to devote to the position. Interested candidates should send a cover letter detailing interest in the position and a resume to Debra Haffner, Board Communications Chair, at debrahaffner@yahoo.com by April 15, 2009. 6 Contemporary Sexuality www.aasect.org | April 2009 Vol. 43, No. 4 http://www.aasect.org
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