Takahashi Miyako, Kai Ichiro
Department of Social Gerontology, School of Health Sciences and Nursing, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
Soc Sci Med. 2005 Sep;61(6):1278-90. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.01.013.
Sexuality after a cancer diagnosis has long been neglected in the clinical and research settings in many countries. In particular, research in Asia on sexuality and cancer among women is extremely scarce. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 Japanese women with breast cancer (mean age 42.2 years; median length between surgery and first interview 17 months) to explore their views on sexuality following breast cancer treatment. Analysis using the Grounded Theory approach revealed four major themes: (a) hesitation in resuming sex after treatment, (b) sexual changes after resuming sex, (c) coping attitudes to the changes, and (d) long-term outcomes of the relationship with partners. Contrary to Japanese breast surgeons' optimistic outlooks, the majority of informants referred to the impact of treatment on the physical as well as psychological aspects of their sexuality. Factors that influenced women's experiences included the pace of their psychological and physical recovery after treatment, fear of their partner's negative response, the importance of the sexual relationship for the couple, and their partner's understanding and support. Suggestions for medical professionals on how to support women's sexuality after cancer are discussed with reference to the Japanese socio-cultural and medical context.
在许多国家，癌症诊断后的性问题在临床和研究领域长期被忽视。尤其是在亚洲，针对女性性与癌症的研究极为匮乏。我们对21名日本乳腺癌女性患者（平均年龄42.2岁；手术至首次访谈的中位时长为17个月）进行了半结构化访谈，以探究她们在乳腺癌治疗后对性的看法。运用扎根理论方法进行分析，揭示了四个主要主题：（a）治疗后恢复性生活的犹豫；（b）恢复性生活后的性变化；（c）应对这些变化的态度；（d）与伴侣关系的长期结果。与日本乳腺外科医生的乐观看法相反，大多数受访者提到了治疗对她们性方面的生理和心理影响。影响女性经历的因素包括治疗后身心恢复的速度、对伴侣负面反应的恐惧、性关系对夫妻的重要性以及伴侣的理解与支持。结合日本的社会文化和医疗背景，讨论了医疗专业人员如何在癌症后支持女性性健康的建议。
