The SHINE Program

The Sexual Health and Intimacy Enhancement (SHINE) program is designed to address breast cancer survivors’ sexual concerns.  This resource is provided to women receiving care through the UVA Breast Care Center.

We know that:  

• Most breast cancer survivors report sexual concerns following their cancer treatment, like pain with sex, less desire for sex, vaginal dryness, or trouble with orgasm  
• Cancer-related sexual concerns can be very upsetting  
• Most breast cancer survivors have never talked with their cancer care providers about sexual concerns 

Aspects of survivors’ cancer treatment, personal history, and relationships can affect their sexual health following cancer. This means there are many different strategies and kinds of information that might help cancer-related sexual concerns. 

The development of SHINE has been supported by National Institutes of Health grants UG1CA189824 and R371CA269776. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. 

SHINE is an online program with four Cores (or lessons) with information and strategies designed to help women address breast cancer-related sexual concerns. Cores are interactive and self-guided web programs with information and activities (for example, questions, games, and video). Each one takes about 20-45 minutes to complete. Core topics cover:  

• Sexual Health Essentials: information about women’s sexual health after breast cancer 
• Health Care Discussions: talking to your health care providers about sexual concerns 
• Partner Conversations: talking to your partner about sexual concerns 
• Intimacy Insights: strategies to increase intimacy in your relationship 

Complete your Cores at your own pace, as the SHINE program allows you to return where you left off. Once you complete a Core, you also can return and review it as often as you would like.

Who is SHINE for?  

SHINE is currently being offered to women who have completed primary treatment for breast cancer at the UVA Cancer Center. It is okay if you are using long-term treatments like Tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors. This program was originally designed for women with romantic partners, but content may still be useful to women even if they are not currently in a relationship. 

How do I join SHINE? 

You may have been told about SHINE by one of your health care providers at UVA or saw information about the program in a UVA Cancer Center facility. If you are interested in receiving access to SHINE, please click “Get started with SHINE at UVA” above and complete an online Interest Form. Our team will review interest forms to make sure you are a UVA Breast Care Center patient. Once you are confirmed, you will receive a welcome email with instructions on how to log in. This process takes about 3 business days. 

How is my privacy protected?  

Your privacy is very important to us. Your privacy is protected by the following: 

1. All the Cores are provided online through a private, secure web platform. You access your SHINE program with a password. 
2. The information you submit is stored on a secured server. Servers meet Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rules. 
3. The SHINE program Cores are on servers maintained by IT staff at the University of Virginia. The IT staff assess network structure to make sure the latest security technology software is used. 
4. Only authorized staff have access to these servers. Your health care team will not see your data. 

Have questions about SHINE at UVA? Want help learning how you can join? Please contact our team. Office hours of team members are generally Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern, excluding holidays.   

Email: shineuvacbht@uvahealth.org 

Phone: (434) 962-1340 

© Copyright 2025. SHINE Cores are Internet interventions created by the Center for Behavioral Health & Technology at the University of Virginia. All rights reserved.