Sex After A Stroke - Life After Stroke: Stroke

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Sex after a stroke

Though there is no medical reason to avoid having sex after a stroke, you may find it difficult to have sexual relations. Neurological damage may interfere with sensation. Men may have difficulty achieving an erection or ejaculating. You may have little or no desire for sex because you feel self-conscious or troubled by the way your body looks, or because you feel tired much of the time.

While it's impossible to overestimate the pain that sexual difficulties can cause a couple, it's important to know that there are solutions to these difficulties. The most constructive thing you and your partner can do is to talk. The trouble you're having is not anyone's fault. Nonsexual physical contact is often a good start. Massage, for example, is a way to bring people together physically. It needn't always be a full-body massage. Try massaging the feet or hands, the back, or even the face. For sexual intercourse, it is sometimes helpful to try different positions to find one that's comfortable. If you get tired in the evening, try making love earlier in the day. If erectile dysfunction is a problem, tell your doctor and find out whether medication or another therapy is appropriate.

Depression and sexual difficulties often go hand in hand. Depression can cause erectile dysfunction or a loss of desire, and these sexual problems can contribute to depression. Antidepressant medication can sometimes cause sexual dysfunction as well. Psychological counseling and medications for erectile dysfunction, either alone or in combination, can be useful.

Last updated:	September 05, 2008