Health Services and Outcomes Research, School of Psychology, University of Western Sydney, Penrith South DC, NSW, Australia.
Maturitas. 2011 Sep;70(1):42-57. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2011.06.013. Epub 2011 Jul 20.
Research in the area of gynaecological cancer has increasingly examined changes to women's sexuality, with the impact of treatment on sexual wellbeing considered particularly important. The objective of this paper is to review research on gynaecological cancer and sexuality from the years 1990 to 2011. Research has documented a range of post-treatment anatomical and physical changes to women's sexual wellbeing, including changes to sexual desire, pleasure, orgasm, vaginal lubrication, genital sensitivity, arousal, and frequency of sex. Women's intrapsychic experiences of changes to sexuality include anxiety, depression, distress, and negative perceptions of sexual identity and body image. Socially constructed discourses surrounding gender and sexuality also shape women's experiences of their sexual wellbeing post-gynaecological cancer and treatment, with many women feeling a loss of womanhood and femininity with the removal of, or changes to, their reproductive organs. Finally, women's relationship context, pattern of couple communication, and partner support are associated with women's ability to cope with changes to sexuality post-gynaecological cancer. Given that sexuality is an important part of quality of life, it is important that health professionals actively communicate information to women and their partner about the effects of treatment on sexual wellbeing, in order to legitimate and normalise sexuality in this context. It is concluded that research in the area of gynaecological cancer and sexuality needs to acknowledge not only the physical/anatomical/material effects of cancer treatments, but also women's intrapsychic experiences of changes to sexuality, her relationship context, and the role of gendered discourses in shaping women's experiences of sexuality post-gynaecological cancer and treatment.
妇科癌症领域的研究越来越多地关注女性性行为的变化，治疗对性健康的影响被认为尤为重要。本文旨在回顾 1990 年至 2011 年妇科癌症与性行为的研究。研究记录了女性性健康在治疗后一系列解剖和生理变化，包括性欲、性愉悦、性高潮、阴道润滑、生殖器敏感度、性唤起和性生活频率的变化。女性对性行为变化的内在体验包括焦虑、抑郁、痛苦以及对性身份和身体形象的负面认知。围绕性别和性的社会建构话语也影响了女性在妇科癌症和治疗后的性健康体验，许多女性因生殖器官的切除或改变而感到失去了女性气质和女性特征。最后，女性的关系背景、夫妻沟通模式和伴侣支持与女性在妇科癌症后应对性行为变化的能力相关。鉴于性行为是生活质量的重要组成部分，健康专业人员积极向女性及其伴侣传达关于治疗对性健康影响的信息非常重要，以便在这种情况下使性合法化和正常化。结论是，妇科癌症和性行为领域的研究不仅需要认识到癌症治疗的生理/解剖/物质影响，还需要认识到女性对性行为变化的内在体验、她的关系背景以及性别话语在塑造女性妇科癌症和治疗后性行为体验方面的作用。
