Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada.
J Sex Med. 2012 Apr;9(4):1162-73. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2011.02639.x. Epub 2012 Feb 3.
Regular use of vaginal dilators has been recommended as a prophylactic measure following radiation treatment for gynecological cancers in order to minimize vaginal stenosis and promote optimal healing of the vagina. Despite the well-established reluctance of women to adopt this practice, little is known about the difficulties and concerns associated with vaginal dilator use.
To investigate women's experiences with the vaginal dilator and to understand the psychosocial factors that influence women's adoption of rehabilitative dilator use.
This is an exploratory qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with a sample of 10 women with a history of gynecological cancer and who were prescribed a vaginal dilator. Interviews were analyzed using the grounded theory method and examined for recurrent themes.
The main outcome measure was a semi-structured interview comprised of open-ended questions designed to elicit information concerning topic areas relevant to gynecological cancer, vaginal dilator use, and sexuality.
The analysis resulted in five main categories underlying the core category of "From 'sex toy' to intrusive imposition." These were: (i) embarrassing sex toy; (ii) reliving the invasion of treatment; (iii) aversive "hands-on" experience; (iv) not at the forefront of my recovery; and (v) minimizing the resistance.
Rehabilitative vaginal dilator use is a complex, multifaceted, and personal phenomenon that carries deep psychological and emotional implications that make it intrusive. These findings may enhance the way in which vaginal dilators are introduced and help healthcare providers address better women's difficulties and concerns with the dilators. Ultimately, it may also lead to improved health maintenance and quality of life for women recovering from gynecological cancer.
为了尽量减少阴道狭窄并促进阴道的最佳愈合，经常使用阴道扩张器已被推荐作为妇科癌症放射治疗后的预防措施。尽管女性非常不愿意采用这种做法，但对于与阴道扩张器使用相关的困难和关注点却知之甚少。
调查女性使用阴道扩张器的体验，并了解影响女性采用康复性扩张器使用的心理社会因素。
这是一项探索性定性研究，采用半结构式访谈方法对 10 名有妇科癌症病史且被开处阴道扩张器的女性进行了抽样调查。使用扎根理论方法对访谈进行分析，并检查反复出现的主题。
主要结果测量是一份半结构化访谈，其中包含开放式问题，旨在获取与妇科癌症、阴道扩张器使用和性相关的主题领域的信息。
分析产生了五个主要类别，这些类别构成了核心类别“从‘性玩具’到侵入性强制”的基础。这些类别是：（i）令人尴尬的性玩具；（ii）治疗的入侵感；（iii）令人厌恶的“动手”体验；（iv）不在我康复的首要位置；以及（v）尽量减少抵触。
康复性阴道扩张器的使用是一个复杂、多方面的个人现象，它带有深刻的心理和情感含义，使其具有侵入性。这些发现可能会增强阴道扩张器的引入方式，并帮助医疗保健提供者更好地解决女性在使用扩张器时的困难和关注点。最终，这也可能会提高女性在妇科癌症康复期间的健康维护和生活质量。
