Sarah-Jane describes her digital story (video) as “about being failed as a woman with gynaecological cancer by the hushed voices and red faces that surround our body intimacy and pleasure”.  She describes how the silence around sex and sexuality during and after her cancer treatment affected her, especially as a woman who loves other women.

They actually cared more about me losing my hair, something that would eventually grow back, than they did over me losing parts of me so deeply linked to my sexual identity as a woman. By not starting important conversations about how cancer changes our bodies as women and our relationship with pleasure right at the start of our surgery and treatment is failing us. I feel like I was lied to by a team I was supposed to be able to trust.

Sarah-Jane’s story was supported and facilitated by the Macmillan Digital Storytelling Project (Macmillan Cancer Support & The Scottish Book Trust) in partnership with the Cancer, Sex & Intimacy community project, designed and delivered by women for women affected by cancer. This UK-based initiative helps people affected by cancer to tell their stories in their own words.

Watch the digital story here.