Today, we take an excerpt on Sex and Cancer from Paul Joannides' Guide To Getting It On.

From a Young Couple We recently received an email from a young woman whose boyfriend has brain cancer. He’s 20, and she’s not yet. He’s had multiple brain surgeries, radiation, and now chemo. Because of his nausea and problems with stamina, she’s on top during intercourse more than before. And some of the things he used to love her to do before his cancer can make him feel nauseated now. But she says as long as they give each other lots of feedback, they still enjoy sex, which shows that you can cut into a person’s brain, nuke it and poison it—it won’t necessarily stop them from wanting sex. In this case, his orgasms help him to feel better after chemo, assuming he’s able. She says, “Sometimes we have sex just to feel closer in a hard time like after we heard he was going to need a second surgery. It’s comforting to be that close to...