Providence Cancer Institute Franz Sexual Health Services
At Providence, our goal is to treat the whole person during and after cancer treatment. Our sexual health experts care for people who have been diagnosed with breast or gynecologic cancers and have experienced changes to their sexual health due to cancer treatment or risk-reduction surgery.
Providence Cancer Institute Franz Sexual Health Services
At Providence, our goal is to treat the whole person during and after cancer treatment. Our sexual health experts care for people who have been diagnosed with breast or gynecologic cancers and have experienced changes to their sexual health due to cancer treatment or risk-reduction surgery.
Meet the Team
At Providence, you'll have access to a vast network of dedicated and compassionate providers who offer personalized care by focusing on treatment, prevention and health education.
People who have undergone breast or gynecologic cancer treatment may experience the following changes in their sexual health:
- Vaginal pain
- Pelvic pain
- Decreased interest in sex
- Decreased pleasure with sex
- Pain with sex
- Changes in body image
There are a variety of treatments that our experts might recommend. These may include:
- Education about your body, vaginal health, and intimacy
- Suggestions to enhance communication with your partner
- Information about non-hormonal vaginal lubricants and moisturizers
- Hormone replacement therapy creams, gels or pills
- Treatments to address pain, including vaginal dilator therapy
- Referral to other specialists, including physical therapists and sex therapists
Experts at our sexual health services will provide compassionate and confidential care to help resolve these changes. Your visit will be with our oncology nurse practitioner, Nora Lersch, D.N.P., AOCNP. Nora has more than 28 years of experience in female sexual health and is passionate about treating sexual health issues experienced by people with cancer.
Before your first appointment, we’ll send you a detailed questionnaire to complete and bring with you to the appointment.
Your first appointment will take one hour. During this visit we will review your medical history and do a focused exam. We will then work with you to form a treatment plan.
You may have a shorter follow-up appointment to discuss improvements or any necessary changes to your treatment plan.
- Life After Cancer Treatment
- North American Menopause Society
- American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists
- Womanlab.org - platform where every woman and everyone who loves and cares for women can learn truths about sex
- Will2love.com - optimizing care for sexual and fertility problems related to chronic illnesses, including cancer
Part of Providence Cancer Institute of Oregon
Providence Cancer Institute is a leading provider of cancer care in Oregon, and part of the largest community-based cancer-care network in the United States. Regardless of where you go for care, you have an entire team of cancer experts working together to provide a personalized, whole-person approach to your care. At Providence we see more than a cancer diagnosis, we see the life in you and are committed to helping you live well again.