Breast Cancer Awareness and Pure Romance

As I'm sure you are aware, this month is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There aren't many of us that have not been touched by this disease in some way. Please take this time to think about how you can take care of yourself, do your self-checks and get your mammograms. If you know of someone who is not doing so, encourage them. As women, we put often ourselves last on the 'to-do' list, but if we are not well, how can we take care of those we love? Visit http://www.nbcam.org/ to learn more or find out how you can help others in this fight.

I will be donating all proceeds from the sales this month of Just Like Me, our PH-balanced lubricant, to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. It is part of our special pink ribbon line developed to provide safe and effective products for extremely sensitive women. http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/

Sexuality, Sensuality and Survival

"In 2006, Patty and Chris asked our research team at Indiana University to find out more about the sexual health needs and concerns of young breast cancer survivors. After all, they are a neglected group even though a growing number of women under age 50 are diagnosed with breast cancer. With improved treatment options, more women survive breast cancer - which means they need help after treatment so that they can have the opportunity for a high quality of life." (Dr. Debbie Herbenick, a research scientist at the Center for Sexual Health Promotion and a Sexual Health Educator at the Kinsey Institute. www.mysexprofessor.com)

Information was collected from 115 young survivors of breast cancer about what types of problems with their sexual lives they were having and if they would be interested in sexual enhancement products that could possibly help. They overwhelmingly responded that YES, they were interested in learning more about these products, lubricants, vibrators and massage products in particular. Their main concern was difficulty with sexual desire, arousal, interest, vaginal dryiness genital pain and orgasm. The products they showed the most interest in could help with those things. In addition, some needed special products that were unflavored and unscented due to their sensitivity from treatments.

Not only has Patty, the owner of Pure Romance, addressed these women's needs, she created an entire program dedicated to helping those women who have been diagnosed with cancer recapture their sensuality. Here is more about Pure Romance's Sensuality, Sexuality and Survival Program from Pure Romance's website at http://www.pureromance.com/sss/.

Our Mission
To help women recapture their sensual and sexual selves through education, empowerment, and safe product offerings designed specifically for women following cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Our Pledge
Offer safe products to enhance women's sexual experiences

Raise public awareness on intimacy and sexual challenges faced by women with breast cancer

Provide ongoing support through current literature and specially trained Pure Romance Consultants

Provide an ongoing support network for women and their partners

Develop and maintain programs to educate and support women living with breast cancer

Our Challenge
Approximately 200,000 women a year are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States alone (ACS).

Approximately 50% of women treated for breast cancer suffer from sexual dysfunction, sometimes up to five years after surgery or treatment (Fleming & Kleinbart, 2001).

Many women find the degree of support and information they obtained from their health care providers regarding their sexuality following breast cancer treatments to be lacking (Wilmoth, 2001).


Intimacy and Illness Resources

Here are some resources recommended by Pure Romance and our educators.

Books:
Intimacy with Impotence: The Couple's Guide to Better Sex after Prostate Discease by Ralph and Barbara Alterowitz

Making Love the Way We Used To...Or Better: Nine Secrets to Satisfying Midlife Sexuality by Alan Altman, MD and Laurie Ashner

Couples Confronting Cancer: Keeping Your Relationship Strong by Joy Fincannon, RN, MS, and Katherine Bruss

Sex and Diabetes by Janis Roszler and Donna Rice

The MS Workbook: Living Fully with Multiple Sclerosis by Robert Fraser, PhD, George Kraft MD, Dawn Ehde, PhD and Kurt Johnson, PhD

Online Resources:
American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists - www.aasect.org

American Cancer Society - www.cancer.org

The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction - www.kinseyinstitute.org

National Women's Health Information Center - www.4women.org

The American Diabetes Association - www.diabetes.org

National Multiple Sclerosis Society - www.nationalmssociety.org