Men’s Sexual Health

Breaking the silence

Helping men talk about their sexual health.

At Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Men’s Sexual Health Program emphasizes that maintaining your health requires focusing on the entire body, and that includes sexual health.

Men commonly experience sexual health changes during their lifetime. These may include a decrease in libido (desire to engage in sexual activity), or a change in the ability to physically participate in sexual activities. The changes may be the result of age, medications or a chronic illness such as diabetes or cancer.

The Men’s Sexual Health Program at Baptist MD Anderson, led by Lael Stieglitz, MD, MPH, general urologist, offers a clinic with therapies and treatment options for all patients with questions regarding any aspect of their sexual care and sexual health. Dr. Stieglitz, who completed her residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, treats both cancer and non-cancer patients. Additionally, consultations are encouraged before patients undergo surgery or radiation treatment to understand the treatment outcomes and the potential sexual side effects.

Dr. Stieglitz works in collaboration with her colleagues in urologic oncology, including Jonathan Melquist, MD, FACS, chief of the section of urologic oncology, and Barrett McCormick, MD, urologic oncologist. Both are fellowship-trained urologic oncologists from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Pictured left: Lael Stieglitz, MD, general urologist, talks with her patient Stephen Thompson about his care plan.

Pictured left to right: Lael Stieglitz, MD, general urologist, is part of a multidisciplinary urologic oncology team that includes Jonathan Melquist, MD, chief of the section of urologic oncology and Barrett McCormick, MD, urologic oncologist.

During the patient’s consultation, Dr. Stieglitz and her team review each patient’s goals and objectives and design a customized treatment plan to meet their patient’s individual needs. Dr. Stieglitz also welcomes the patient’s spouses or partners to join in on the conversation so couples can customize their goals together.

Conditions that are seen and treated in the clinic include: • Low libido

• Low testosterone • Erectile dysfunction • Painful ejaculation • Premature ejaculation • Delayed ejaculation • Peyronie’s disease, or ‘crooked’ erection • Testicular pain • Vasectomy

Additionally, Dr. Stieglitz offers prosthetic procedures including artificial urinary sphincters and penile implants. There are roughly 13,000 urologists in the United States and only a few hundred offer these types of procedures.

Baptist MD Anderson urology patients have access on-campus to rehabilitation services, including physical therapy-guided pelvic floor muscle training. Pelvic floor therapy helps to address sexual problems, incontinence and discomfort resulting from cancer treatment by improving pelvic muscle and tissue health. This service is offered to both cancer and non-cancer patients. For those undergoing prostate surgery, research shows that physical pelvic floor muscle training prior to a prostatectomy can help reduce the duration and severity of urinary incontinence. Biofeedback and exercises encourage relaxation and strengthening of the lower pelvic muscles. Massage and manual therapy techniques stretch and release the connective tissue between the skin, muscles and bones in your pelvic region.

Jana Parnell, PT, DPT, WCS, Baptist MD Anderson’s pelvic floor therapist, is one of fewer than 35 board-certified pelvic floor therapy providers in Florida and one of fewer than 500 in the country. A native to Jacksonville, Florida, Jana is dedicated to bringing pelvic health services to the First Coast.

At Baptist MD Anderson, patients have access to a team of urology experts and innovative technologies to provide a comprehensive plan including follow-up. Each urology patient’s plan will be uniquely tailored to their diagnosis and based on guidelines from the American Urological Association and the Sexual Medicine Society of North America.

Jana Parnell, PT, DPT, WCS Pelvic Floor Therapist

Video

Learn more about the Men’s Sexual Health Program by watching a video featuring Dr. Stieglitz.