Changes in sexual desire and sexual health after cancer are more common than most survivors are told — and more treatable than many realize. In this candid, judgment-free session, Dr. Heather Quaile addresses one of the most underdiagnosed and undertreated conditions affecting women after cancer: Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD). Dr. Quaile will explain what HSDD is, how cancer treatment contributes to it, and how it differs from other sexual health changes survivors may be experiencing. Using her signature trauma-informed, whole-person approach, she will walk through the biological, psychological, and relational factors that shape sexual desire after cancer — and review the evidence-based options available to help. Whether you are struggling with low desire, changes in intimacy, or simply want to understand what is happening in your body, this session is a space to ask the questions you may not have known you were allowed to ask.
Heather Quaile, DNP, is a double board-certified women's and gender health nurse practitioner, advanced forensic nurse, and one of the most credentialed and forward-thinking voices in women's sexual health and midlife care. With more than 25 years of clinical experience, she brings expertise that spans integrative gynecology, menopause medicine, female sexual dysfunction, adolescent and young adult gynecology, sexuality and cancer, and longevity medicine.
Dr. Quaile is the founder of the Sexual Health Optimization and Wellness (SHOW) Center in Kennesaw, Georgia, a practice built on the belief that women deserve better — a space where conventional and complementary medicine meet trauma-informed, dignity-centered, evidence-based care. She is also the founder of The Q-Spot, a clinician education platform focused on menopause, sexual health, and complex women's health care, and the host of the Just Ask podcast. Her commitment to education and advocacy extends to the Georgia Capitol, where she actively lobbies on issues affecting advanced nursing practice, human trafficking, and sexual assault. She helped establish Georgia's first human trafficking emergency stabilization center through Wellspring Living.
Dr. Quaile is a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP), an AASECT Certified Sex Counselor, and a certified sexual assault nurse examiner. She is a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH), a Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP), and a Fellow of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health (FNPWH). She currently serves as Treasurer of ISSWSH and holds advisory roles with the National Menopause Foundation and the Governor's Task Force on human trafficking. She received the 2020 Vanderbilt Alumni Clinician of the Year Award and the 2021 Georgia Nurse Practitioner of the Year Award from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, and maintains an adjunct faculty position at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing.