Sexual Health and Multiple Myeloma: What Patients Need to Know

How Does Multiple Myeloma Affect Your Sexual Health? New Insights from Patients

Sexual health is often overlooked in conversations with healthcare teams, but it's an important part of life for many people living with multiple myeloma. In this article, you'll learn what over 500 patients shared about their sexual health experiences, common issues, and communication gaps with their care teams.

This research was performed using HealthTree Cure Hub® for the Sexual Health in Blood Cancer Patients survey in partnership with Gurbakhash Kaur, MD, Mount Sinai; Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP, Fred Hutch Cancer Center; and the Japneet Kaur Oberoi Health Science Department at the University of Oklahoma.

Sexual Health Changes During Myeloma Treatment

Most people with multiple myeloma, about 7 in 10, report that their sexual health has been affected by their condition or its treatment. For 38%, the impact is significant. Common concerns differ somewhat between women and men. Women commonly report low libido (67%), vaginal dryness (53%), and decreased arousal (45%). Men frequently mention erectile dysfunction (59%), low libido (54%), and decreased arousal (44%). These issues matter because they can significantly affect emotional well-being and relationships, underscoring the importance of addressing them proactively.

Patients Want More Conversations About Sexual Health

The HealthTree Cure Hub® survey shows that although sexual health is a common concern for patients, communication between patients and their doctors on the topic is sparse. Surprisingly, 84% of patients never received information about sexual health from their healthcare providers. Additionally, 71% have not initiated the conversation, often because they feel uncomfortable or uncertain about how to bring it up. This is important for patients to recognize because advocating for your health includes discussing sensitive topics like sexual well-being.

Preferences for Discussing Sexual Health

Most patients (88%) feel comfortable talking about sexual health with their doctors, but many prefer the healthcare team to initiate the conversation. Over a third expressed they would feel most comfortable if their care team, regardless of gender, brought up the subject first. Additionally, some women indicated they'd prefer a provider of the same gender to start the conversation. Understanding these preferences can help patients feel empowered to request these conversations from their healthcare providers.

Family Planning and Myeloma

While most patients are beyond reproductive age at their myeloma diagnosis, having myeloma affects family planning decision-making. About 3% of patients said they might have considered having more children if they hadn't been diagnosed, highlighting the broad impact a cancer diagnosis can have on a patient's life.

Gender-Specific Sexual Health Issues

For women, vaginal hormone therapy or menopause management was rarely discussed with their doctors, even when symptoms were present. Over half (57%) who experienced vaginal dryness or painful sex had never addressed it with their oncologist.

Only 3% of men receive erectile dysfunction medications from their myeloma doctor, and nearly one-third of men had never had their testosterone levels checked, even though they reported sexual health concerns. 

Understanding these gaps can help patients ask their care team better questions, and it highlights the need for experts to address this topic in the clinic.

How to Improve Your Clinic Conversations

Sexual health is a significant factor in overall quality of life, and if the topic is never addressed, critical gaps remain for patients. This HealthTree Cure Hub® survey reveals that people living with myeloma want more openness about sexual health. While patients can bring these topics up with a care team member they feel comfortable sharing with, healthcare teams must encourage and initiate these conversations. If clinicians can provide more proactive conversations with patients, they can also give better support.

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