Is it safe to have sex while undergoing chemotherapy?

It's best to discuss any concerns about chemotherapy and sex with your doctor, who's familiar with your individual situation. In general, however, it's usually OK to have sex while undergoing chemotherapy — as long as you're feeling up to it.

Many factors can influence decisions about chemotherapy and sex. Here are some things to consider:

  • What type of cancer do you have? Cancers of the genital tract, urinary tract, anus or rectum may require special caution when it comes to sex. After a procedure or therapy that affects these areas, your doctor may recommend abstaining from sexual activity until healing is complete.
  • What type of chemotherapy are you receiving? Different chemotherapy drugs cause different side effects. For example, if chemotherapy reduces the levels of your germ-fighting white blood cells, you may not be protected from bacteria that can be introduced into the body during sexual intercourse. Your doctor may recommend that you avoid sex until your white blood cell counts rise to safe levels.

    If your chemotherapy causes a low platelet count, intercourse could cause bleeding. If your platelet count is extremely low, severe bleeding could occur.

  • Is pregnancy possible? Pregnancy is strongly discouraged during chemotherapy due to the potential effects on the developing baby. If it's possible for you or your partner to become pregnant during sex, your doctor will likely encourage you to choose a reliable method of birth control.
  • Are you feeling up to it? During chemotherapy, fatigue or other side effects, including effects on hormonal levels, may decrease your interest in sex. If you're not interested in intercourse, remember that there's more to an intimate relationship than sex. Look for other ways to express affection, such as kissing, cuddling or other shared activities.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

We use the data you provide to deliver you the content you requested. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, we may combine your email and website data with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, we will only use your protected health information as outlined in our Notice of Privacy Practices. You may opt out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the email.

Jan. 25, 2025 See more Expert Answers

See also

  1. Acute lymphocytic leukemia
  2. Adjuvant therapy for cancer
  3. Anal cancer
  4. Astrocytoma
  5. B-cell lymphoma
  6. Beating Ovarian Cancer
  7. Biliary tract cancer: Should I get a second opinion?
  8. Bladder cancer
  9. Bladder cancer FAQs
  10. Bone cancer
  11. Bone metastasis
  12. Brain tumor
  13. Brain tumor FAQs
  14. Breast cancer
  15. Breast Cancer Education Tool
  16. Breast cancer staging
  17. Breast cancer types
  18. Burkitt lymphoma
  19. CA 125 test: A screening test for ovarian cancer?
  20. Cancer blood tests
  21. Cancer diagnosis: 11 tips for coping
  22. Cancer pain: Relief is possible
  23. Cancer surgery
  24. Cancer survival rate
  25. Cancer survivors: Care for your body after treatment
  26. Cancer survivors: Late effects of cancer treatment
  27. Cancer survivors: Managing your emotions after cancer treatment
  28. Cancer treatment myths
  29. Cancer-related diarrhea
  30. Cancer-related fatigue
  31. Carcinoid syndrome
  32. Cervical cancer
  33. Cervical cancer FAQs
  34. Cervical cysts: Can they be cancerous?
  35. Cervical dysplasia: Is it cancer?
  36. Chemo targets
  37. Chemotherapy
  38. Chemotherapy and hair loss: What to expect during treatment
  39. Chemotherapy side effects: A cause of heart disease?
  40. Chondrosarcoma
  41. Choroid plexus carcinoma
  42. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
  43. Collecting Pennies Through the Pain
  44. Colon cancer
  45. Colon Cancer Family Registry
  46. Colon cancer screening
  47. Colon cancer stool: What to look for and how to test at home
  48. Common questions about breast cancer treatment
  49. Curcumin: Can it slow cancer growth?
  50. Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
  51. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
  52. Dr. Mark Truty (surgery, MN) better outcomes with chemo
  53. Dragon Boats and Breast Cancer
  54. Eating during cancer treatment: Tips to make food tastier
  55. Embryonal tumors
  56. Endometrial cancer
  57. Ependymoma
  58. Esophageal cancer
  59. Ewing sarcoma
  60. Fertility preservation
  61. Floor of the mouth cancer
  62. Follicular lymphoma
  63. Gallbladder cancer
  64. Gallbladder polyps: Can they be cancerous?
  65. Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer
  66. Genetic testing for breast cancer: Psychological and social impact
  67. GI Stents
  68. Glioblastoma
  69. Hairy cell leukemia
  70. Head and Neck Cancer Transoral Surgery
  71. Head and neck cancers
  72. Heart cancer: Is there such a thing?
  73. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
  74. HER2-positive breast cancer: What is it?
  75. High-dose vitamin C: Can it kill cancer cells?
  76. Hilar cholangiocarcinoma
  77. Hodgkin lymphoma (Hodgkin disease)
  78. Hodgkin vs. non-Hodgkin lymphoma: What's the difference?
  79. How cancer spreads
  80. Inflammatory breast cancer
  81. Infographic: Breast Cancer Risk
  82. Infographic: Cancer Clinical Trials Offer Many Benefits
  83. Infographic: Lung Cancer
  84. Infographic: Multiple Myeloma
  85. Infographic: Pancreatic Cancer: Minimally Invasive Surgery
  86. Infographic: Pancreatic Cancers-Whipple
  87. Infographic: Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors
  88. Infographic: Skin Cancer
  89. Invasive lobular carcinoma
  90. Is a clinical trial for biliary tract cancer right for me?
  91. Leukemia
  92. Liver cancer
  93. Liver cancer FAQs
  94. Living with Brain Tumors
  95. Long Term Brain Cancer Survivor
  96. Low blood counts
  97. Lung cancer
  98. Lymphoma
  99. Lymphoma FAQs
  100. Magic mouthwash
  101. Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors
  102. Mantle cell lymphoma
  103. Marginal zone lymphoma
  104. Medulloblastoma
  105. Melanoma
  106. Melanoma — Early stage and advanced melanoma
  107. Melanoma pictures to help identify skin cancer
  108. Mesothelioma
  109. Mort Crim and Cancer
  110. Mouth cancer
  111. Mouth sores caused by cancer treatment: How to cope
  112. Multiple myeloma
  113. Myelofibrosis
  114. Myelofibrosis
  115. Myths about cancer causes
  116. Myxofibrosarcoma
  117. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
  118. Neuroblastoma
  119. Neuroendocrine tumors
  120. No appetite? How to get nutrition during cancer treatment
  121. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
  122. Nonmelanoma skin cancer
  123. Oligodendroglioma
  124. Ovarian cancer
  125. Ovarian cancer: Still possible after hysterectomy?
  126. Paget's disease of the breast
  127. Palliative care for biliary tract cancer
  128. Pancreatic cancer
  129. Pancreatic Cancer Survivor
  130. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
  131. Pap test: Can it detect ovarian cancer?
  132. Peritoneal carcinomatosis
  133. Pheochromocytoma
  134. PICC line placement
  135. Pilocytic astrocytoma
  136. Pineoblastoma
  137. Pink Sisters
  138. Precision medicine: A new way to treat biliary cancers
  139. Prostate cancer FAQs
  140. Prostate cancer: Does PSA level affect prognosis?
  141. Punk Guitarist Survives Brain Tumor
  142. Rectal cancer
  143. Recurrent breast cancer
  144. Robotic bladder surgery
  145. Schwannomatosis
  146. Scrotal masses
  147. Self-Image During Cancer
  148. Skin cancer
  149. Skin cancer — How skin cancer develops
  150. Skin Cancer Reconstruction
  151. Skull base tumors
  152. Small cell, large cell cancer: What this means
  153. Soft tissue sarcoma
  154. Spinal cord tumor
  155. Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin
  156. Stage 4 (metastatic) colon cancer
  157. Super Survivor Conquers Cancer
  158. T-cell lymphoma
  159. Testicular microlithiasis
  160. Throat cancer
  161. Thyroid cancer
  162. Thyroid cancer FAQs
  163. Treatment options for biliary tract cancer
  164. Tumor vs. cyst: What's the difference?
  165. Types of prostate cancer: Common and rare forms
  166. Vaginal cancer
  167. Vertebral tumor
  168. VEXAS syndrome
  169. Vulvar cancer
  170. Weight Loss After Breast Cancer
  171. What is biliary tract cancer?
  172. What is breast cancer? An expert explains
  173. What is cervical cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  174. What is lymphoma? An expert explains
  175. What is mouth cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  176. What is pancreatic cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  177. What is prostate cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  178. What is stomach cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  179. What is thyroid cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  180. When cancer returns: How to cope with cancer recurrence
  181. Wilms tumor
  182. Zollinger-Ellison syndrome