You have full control over how and when you share details of your prostate cancer diagnosis with a dating partner. If you’re not sure how you want to handle it, you can start by looking at a few factors.
Emotional Readiness
Regardless of how your potential partner may feel about dating someone with cancer, it’s important to understand if you are ready for dating.
A prostate cancer diagnosis can spark a wide range of emotions, including anger, grief, and fear, says Brandi Jurecek, LCSW, a social worker at Texas Oncology in Plano, Texas.
“It can cause a shift in identity that requires time to understand, adapt to, and accept,” she says.
Ask yourself if you still feel emotionally overwhelmed by your diagnosis or if you feel you have the emotional space to connect with someone new, Jurecek says.
Now vs. Later: Pros and Cons
Sharing a prostate cancer diagnosis and its various treatment side effects on a first date may feel too early. But it can also “weed out” bad matches quickly.
If You Don’t Feel Ready to Talk About It
If you can’t imagine telling a date about your diagnosis but don’t know how to move forward, you have options. Dr. Dubin strongly recommends joining a support group for men experiencing similar symptoms and challenges. It helps to hear others’ stories and be part of a community, he says, and it can raise your comfort level if you don’t otherwise know how to do it.
It may also help to make sure you understand your condition, too. Especially if your diagnosis is new, consider asking your oncologist and healthcare team about potential sexual problems that your treatment might cause, when those problems might occur, and any support groups they might recommend.
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