Health Services and Outcomes Research Group, School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, Australia.
Cancer Nurs. 2012 Nov-Dec;35(6):456-65. doi: 10.1097/NCC.0b013e3182395401.
Changes to sexual well-being can be one of the most problematic aspects of life after breast cancer, with the impact lasting for many years after treatment, associated with serious physical and emotional adverse effects. However, the primary focus on corporeal changes negates the influence of social and relational constructions of sexuality and illness and the ways in which the meaning of sex is negotiated by individuals and within relationships.
The aim of this study was to examine changes to sexuality and intimate relationships in individuals who have experienced breast cancer, from a material-discursive-intrapsychic perspective, using mixed-method analysis.
An online survey containing 47 quantitative and qualitative items was completed by 1965 Australian individuals with breast cancer. Participants were 98% women, with a mean age of 54 years.
Decreases in sexual frequency, response, and satisfaction were attributed to a range of factors, including tiredness and pain, psychological distress and body image, and medically induced menopausal changes such as vaginal dryness, hot flushes, and weight gain. Predominant concerns identified in the qualitative analysis were emotional consequences, physical changes, feeling unattractive or lacking femininity, reconciliation of self to changes, and impact on partner or relationship.
These findings support and extend previous research that reports significant changes in sexual well-being after diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer.
The findings are of significance to clinicians because sexual well-being is central to psychological well-being and quality of life, and sexual intimacy has been found to make the experience of cancer more manageable and to assist in the recovery process.
乳腺癌治疗后，性健康的改变可能是生活中最成问题的方面之一，这种影响会持续多年，并伴有严重的身体和情绪不良后果。然而，对身体变化的主要关注否定了社会和关系构建的性和疾病的影响，以及个人和关系中协商性意义的方式。
本研究旨在从物质-话语-内心的角度，使用混合方法分析，检查经历过乳腺癌的个体的性健康和亲密关系的变化。
一项在线调查包含 47 个定量和定性项目，由 1965 名澳大利亚乳腺癌患者完成。参与者 98%为女性，平均年龄为 54 岁。
性欲、反应和满意度的下降归因于多种因素，包括疲劳和疼痛、心理困扰和身体形象，以及医学诱导的更年期变化，如阴道干燥、潮热和体重增加。定性分析中确定的主要关注点是情绪后果、身体变化、缺乏吸引力或女性气质、自我与变化的协调以及对伴侣或关系的影响。
这些发现支持并扩展了先前的研究报告，即诊断和治疗乳腺癌后，性健康会发生重大变化。
这些发现对临床医生具有重要意义，因为性健康是心理健康和生活质量的核心，而且性亲密已被发现可以使癌症的经历更易于管理，并有助于康复过程。
