After surgery for prostate cancer you will not produce semen. This means that you will have a dry orgasm, which can feel quite different – some males say it does not feel as strong or long-lasting as an orgasm with semen, while others say it is more intense. Sometimes surgery causes semen to go backwards into the bladder, rather than forwards out of the penis. This is called retrograde ejaculation. This is not dangerous or harmful, but it does mean you will be infertile.
In some cases after prostate surgery, you may leak a small amount of urine during ejaculation (this is not harmful). If you are feeling anxious about your sex life, premature orgasm can also be a problem.
Tips for adapting to ejaculation changes
- Discuss the changes with your partner and reassure them that it doesn’t affect your enjoyment of sex. Include lots of foreplay to increase your satisfaction.
- Empty your bladder (urinate) before sex to minimise urine leakage. Use a condom or constriction ring (available from sex shops) at the base of the penis to catch any leakage. Pelvic floor exercises can help improve bladder control.
- Ask your doctor about medicines or numbing gels, or talk to a sex therapist about the stop–start technique.
- Focus on enjoying sexual activity. Worrying about controlling your ejaculation may lead to erection problems or loss of interest in sex.
Listen to our podcast on Sex and Cancer
Helena Green, Clinical Sexologist and Counsellor, inSync for Life, WA; Anita Brown-Major, Occupational Therapist, Thrive Rehab, VIC; Karina Campbell, Consumer; Nicole Kinnane, Nurse Consultant, Gynae-oncology Services, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Jessica Medd, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Headway Health and Concord Hospital, NSW; Chris Rivett, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council SA; Kath Schubach, Urology Nurse Practitioner, President – Australia and New Zealand Urological Nurses Society (ANZUNS), VIC; Prof Jane Ussher, Chair, Women’s Health Psychology, Translational Health Research Institute (THRI), School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, NSW; Maria Voukelatos, Consumer. We would like to thank the health professionals, consumers and editorial teams who have worked on previous editions of this title.
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