This is a recording of our Sex + Body panel with sexual health experts and community members. We highly encourage you to watch the 1-hour long panel, however, if you are craving an answer to something specific, please feel free to look through the timestamps below to find what you're looking for. We hope you find this helpful and supportive! 💗
0:08 - Introduction from MJ DeCoteau, Rethink’s Founder + Executive Director
3:25 - Dana Donofree from AnaOno introduces panelists
7:50 - Understanding experiences in the room (questions to audience)
8:54 - Dr. Rojas, breast cancer surgeon and board-certified gynaecologist, walks us through the science of what happens to the female body when going through breast cancer
11:07 - Kim Angell, Rethink Key Collaborator, Advocate and MBC Patient, shares her experience about how diagnosis and treatment impacted her sexual health, including the symptoms she experienced
14:33 - Maja Adolfo-Piwek Rethink, Key Collaborator, Advocate and Dancer, shares about her cancer experience, what she wishes she would have been told by her doctors and what surprised her most about sexual health after breast cancer.
17:36 - Dr. Kim Cullen, Clinical and Health Psychologist, Sex Therapist and Educator, shares a bit about what goes on in the mind when navigating something like breast cancer in the context of sexual health - what's going on upstairs because of what's happening downstairs.
20:17 - Dr. Rojas shares how she works with her patients to shed light on how others can advocate for themselves to their own doctors - how to express concerns, how to get the help you need
23:03 - Dr. Cullen shares how to navigate the loss of nipples and sensations due to cancer and how to find new ways for arousal and intimacy.
26:09 - Maja and Kim talk some of their "hacks" - things they've done to resolve some of their own problems in the bedroom.
31:11 - Dr Rojas shares all about hacks (like the right lubrication!) from a gynaecological perspective.
36:23 - Dr Cullen addresses the lack of desire when it comes to intimacy and practical tips on how to work through that.
38:57 - Maja talks about self care and the impact surgery and treatment had on her body image.
40:41 - Kim talks about her experience with body image through cancer and the impact through her lens as someone with MBC and someone who is married.
42:47 - Dana shares a personal anecdote about dating and body image.
43:39 - Dr. Cullen addresses relationships and dating when navigating issues of sexual health and physical body changes - how to go about finding someone you want to be with and who wants to be with you.
46:23 - Dr. Rojas chimes in on the topic of desire with some really helpful tips and also shares advice about when partners should be engaged in sexual health conversations (do you bring them to the doctors office or wait?).
47:50 - *Please note that Dr. Rojas discusses FDA-approved drugs as she is based in the US. Flibanserin ( Addyi) is Health Canada approved, but Bremolanotide (Vyleesi) is not Health Canada approved at the time of this event. Please always advise your healthcare team about your options.
Q+A with the audience:
49:42 - Question to Dr. Rojas about FDA-approved medications she mentioned during the panel Question Dr Rojas
50:38 - Question about tips on getting a partner who has never used lube in their lifetime to embrace using lube and not think it’s their fault that it's needed.
54:04 - Is it bad to use coconut oil as lube? Dr. Rojas clarifies!
54:24 - Even though one may have a supportive partner who is respectful of one's limit when it comes to sex, what other tools we use to engage with partners to help them realize it's not uncommon for cancer to impact sexual health and that it is a real thing.
57:24 - Clarification on lube again - silicone-based or water-based?
58:41 - Question to Dana about her relationship changes throughout her experience with cancer. Dana shares about her dating experiences and reconciling with her partner.
1:02:00 - Revisiting the questions from the beginning that were posed to the audience. How does the audience feel after this discussion?
Recorded on September 28, 2023 thanks to Pendulum Entertainment!
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8 сен 2024
