Sexuality and Gynecologic Cancer: Supporting Women on the Journey to Healing
Abstract
New cases of gynecologic cancer in the United States affect more than 70,000 women and their partners annually. Due to the nature of the disease, women report being negatively affected both physically and psychosocially following diagnosis and treatment. By far the most common complaint relates to sexual dysfunction, with more than 50% of gynecologic cancer survivors reporting mild to severe sexual dysfunction following treatment. The purpose of this literature review was to determine how women and their partners are affected by sexual dysfunction related to treatment modalities and how well their nurses and healthcare providers addressed these concerns. Eighty-four relevant articles were identified using OVID Medline, of which ten were chosen for analysis. Results of the literature review showed that gynecologic cancer greatly affects women’s sexual functioning, body image, sexual self-concept and intimate relationships negatively. The results of the review further revealed that nurses and other providers experienced multiple barriers to initiating patient discussions related to sexual dysfunction.
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