Sex and Cancer: Confidentiality

When a conversation is confidential, it means that it is private and what you share will not be repeated to your friends, family, partners, or anyone else without your permission.

If the staff were to break this confidentiality, they would face serious consequences.

There are certain situations when some information will need to be shared if it is considered a serious issue. These can include:

• If it appears that you are suffering abuse (physical, social, or mental) or exploitation;
• If you are likely to cause serious harm to yourself or others;
• If it is believed that you may commit a serious act of terrorism;
• If there is a serious issue that may affect your medical care this may need to be shared with your clinical team.

If you told your medical team that you were suffering abuse, they would usually discuss with you what action they may need to take and who they would need to tell.

It is okay to talk about if you smoke or take recreational drugs. You can also share information about your sex life and partners. This information cannot be shared without your permission.