There is no reason to avoid sexual relations when you have ovarian cancer. It is not contagious or sexually transmitted and it will not cause the cancer to return. Many women may experience pain during intercourse if they had a hysterectomy, because the vagina is shortened during this procedure. Chemotherapy may also irritate the vaginal membranes. For more information on sexuality and gynecologic cancers, click here .
Every woman is potentially at risk for ovarian cancer.
It is believed that 5 to 10 percent of the 26,600 ovarian cancer cases are hereditary. 90 to 95 percent of the cases are of unknown origin. Diet can play a role in ovarian cancer. Many women who take fertility drugs never develop ovarian cancer. Actually, using birth control pills can decrease a woman s risk of ovarian cancer by 40 to 50 percent.