Intimacy while going through chemo

Hi all,
I was diagnosed with triple negative bc Dec 2017. Treatment plan: chemo, lumpectomy, radiotherapy. I’m a month away from completing chemotherapy and it’s had its difficulties but so far it’s working well and tumour has shrunk significantly.
My problems lie with my relationship with my partner. We had a very active and fun sex life but soon after my diagnosis he became distant and intimacy stopped. He says he still loves me and wants us to stay together but cannot help how he seems to be reacting. I feel insecure and rejected which is dufficult enough as well as having to go through this long journey of treatment and its side effects. I still look after myself and make sure i make the effort ti look nice. He says he still finds me attractive but his body is not responding. I think he is just being kind and that he has some sort of psycological problem with me looking different without my hair etc but ashamed to say it and feels inadequate. Although not nice it is easier to understand. Afterall, men are very visual.
Has anyone else experienced this? Would be great to hear from both ladies and partners - male perspective.
Thank you.

Hi Tess1963,

Thank you for posting on the Forum, I’m sorry you haven’t yet received a response to your post but hopefully other members will be along to offer their advice and support soon. You may want to join the Sex & Relationships group here forum.breastcancercare.org.uk/t5/Sex-and-relationships-private/gp-p/Sexrelationship where our users share more intimate content. We also have the following pages on our website which might be useful:

Intimate relationships and breast cancer

Sex, intimacy and breast cancer

All the best,

Helena at Breast Cancer Care