It is often mentioned that prostate cancer is a taboo disease. It is not prostate cancer that is taboo per se, but rather, the potential side effects associated with the treatment of this disease. The side effect that contributes the most to making this disease taboo is erectile dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction isn’t just about the ability to get an erection. It also includes the inability to maintain an erection in order to have a satisfying sexual relationship. Erectile dysfunction can have devastating effects in men struggling with this problem. It generates anxiety and causes psychological distress problems, which can lead, in some cases, to suicide.
From a young age, men are exposed to currents of thought that masculinity is synonymous with an erect penis. The performance of the penis defines sexuality. It is therefore not surprising to see the male identity destabilized when the latter is not performing.
Sexual disorders are the number one impact on quality of life after treatment for prostate cancer. In 66% of prostate cancer cases, sexuality remains disturbed two years after diagnosis.
The impacts of erectile and sexual function require treatment as early as possible, because the longer you wait, the less easy it is to recover your sexual function and to regain a satisfactory sex life.
It is important to consider sexuality as an integral part of a man’s life throughout his care path and after his treatments. Sexual health is a fundamental right for everyone affected by prostate cancer. That being said, it is therefore essential to offer sex intervention services and adequate therapy in order to help men find a certain normalcy.
A treatment that comes at a cost
In this regard, on January 21, 2020, Press published an article written by journalist Ariane Lacoursière reporting on a citizen of La Prairie, Claude Boivin, who suffered from erectile dysfunction after having been operated on for prostate cancer and who complained that the drugs prescribed to treat it are not reimbursed in Quebec.
He claimed to spend around $ 350 per month to treat his erectile dysfunction. “I have the means to pay for them. But the men who can’t, what do they do? He asked.
In his article, Mme Lacoursière noted that “drugs against erectile dysfunction appear on the short list of exclusions, along with drugs prescribed for cosmetic purposes or to treat baldness”. As Mr. Boivin underlined, “his problem of erectile dysfunction results from a surgical intervention against prostate cancer, and drugs to counter his problem should be reimbursed in Quebec, in the same way as breast reconstructions of women operated for. breast cancer are ”. And to add: “Erectile dysfunction can lead to depression and suicide … that should be enough [pour justifier le remboursement]. Unfortunately, two months later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit us, and all of Mr. Boivin’s initiatives and claims for reimbursement were eclipsed.
Last week, the Canadian Cancer Statistics Advisory Committee announced that the prostate cancer death rate had halved in the past 25 years. Prostate cancer heals pretty well if it’s diagnosed early.
We believe that this drop is partly attributable to investments in research, but also to the awareness campaigns carried out among Quebecers by the emeritus ambassador of PROCURE, Jean Pagé. Today, more and more men are surviving prostate cancer, but many of them have to deal with side effects, such as erectile dysfunction.
We have succeeded in making men take better care of their physical health, now is the time to help them take care of their sexual and mental health. We’re talking about quality of life!
On November 19, Quebec Prostate Cancer Awareness Day, Procure is campaigning for reimbursement of drugs related to erectile dysfunction following prostate cancer.
We ask the Ministry of Health and Social Services to remove the drugs prescribed for the treatment of erectile dysfunction from the RAMQ list of exclusion cases and demand from insurers, including the RAMQ, that they be reimbursed, in all or part of the drugs prescribed for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Read Ariane Lacoursière’s article (Press) Consult the Procure site What do you think? Express your opinion