Navigating Intimacy After Cancer

Sexual health is an important part of quality of life, yet it remains one of the least discussed topics in cancer care. In this episode of Beyond the Clinic: Living Well with Melanoma, Dr. Samantha Siegel is joined by cancer survivor, advocate, and executive director of After Cancer, Erin Sullivan Wagner, to explore the lasting impact cancer treatment can have on intimacy, relationships, body confidence, and overall well-being.Drawing from her own experience as a cancer survivor, Erin shares how unaddressed treatment side effects changed her life and inspired her to help transform the way healthcare providers approach sexual health conversations with patients. Together, she and Dr. Siegel discuss why these conversations matter, common barriers that prevent them from happening, practical strategies for patients and partners, and how survivors can advocate for the care and support they deserve.Whether you are newly diagnosed, living with melanoma, navigating survivorship, or supporting a loved one, this thoughtful conversation offers reassurance, practical guidance, and a reminder that sexual health is an essential part of whole-person cancer care—not an afterthought.Our Guest: Erin Sullivan Wagner is a cancer survivor, patient advocate, and Executive Director of After Cancer, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving sexual health and intimacy for people affected by cancer. After undergoing treatment for anal cancer, Erin found that the long-term effects on her sexual health and intimate relationship were never discussed by her healthcare team—a gap in care that inspired her life's work.Today, Erin advocates for patients, raises awareness, and educates oncology professionals about the importance of incorporating sexual health into comprehensive cancer care. Through After Cancer, she helps individuals and couples navigate the physical and emotional challenges of survivorship, including changes in libido, body image, fertility, dating, intimacy after ostomy surgery, pelvic floor dysfunction, LGBTQ+ relationships, and more. Her mission is to ensure that no cancer survivor has to face these deeply personal challenges without information, support, and hope.