August 7, 2026 — 7:00pm
In 2012, Letisha Living was 35 and pregnant with her fourth child when she had an ischaemic stroke.
During three weeks in hospital, no one prepared Living for the possibility that her relationship with her body, and sex, would change because of the stroke.
“Nobody spoke to me about it, so I didn’t think it was something I should be talking about … For stroke survivors, identity and body image, those things that aren’t spoken about, have an impact,” Living says.
One in four people over 25 will have a stroke in their lifetime. It can cause a multitude of physical, mental and emotional adjustments that can change how a person’s body feels and functions. This can include erectile dysfunction, changes in libido, difficulty communicating or pain during sex.
