Research summary
Sexuality is essential for physical health, psychological well-being and good romantic relationships. Yet up to a third of women report a loss of sexual desire at some point, and one in six will experience debilitating genital pain—and we have little understanding of what causes these chronic sexual and pain-related disorders.As Canada Research Chair in Women’s Sexual Health, Dr. Nicole Brotto aims to shed light on women’s sexual dysfunction and genital pain, with a particular focus on women who’ve had cancer. She and her research team are exploring whether mindfulness-based interventions can benefit cancer survivors and whether treatments for survivors can be scaled up. They are also exploring the use of digital health technologies—such as online treatments and virtual reality—for treating sexual dysfunction.