Center for Sexology Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Psychooncology. 2018 Jun;27(6):1608-1614. doi: 10.1002/pon.4700. Epub 2018 Mar 26.
The negative impact of malignant disease on sexual and relational functioning is well documented among adults but scarcely investigated among adolescents and young adults. This study explored the body image, self-perceived attractiveness, and sexual/romantic experiences of Danes diagnosed with cancer at the age of 15 to 29 years. It also aimed to clarify whether self-perceived needs for counseling were in fact met by health care providers.
All Danes who had been diagnosed with cancer at the age of 15 to 29 years during the period 2009 to 2013 were included in a cross-sectional nationwide questionnaire study. Eight hundred twenty-two questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 45%.
More than half of the respondents (53.8%) reported that cancer had altered their body image negatively, while 44.6% felt that disease had lowered their feeling of being attractive. Nearly one-third (31.3%) and one-fourth (23.6%), respectively, had experienced a negative impact on their desire to have sex or to flirt/date/have a partner. Female responders were more affected than males on most variables, and breast cancer patients were approximately 4 times more at risk for sexual and romantic adversities than patients with melanoma of the skin. Although more than 80% indicated a need to discuss issues of sexuality and intimacy with a health professional, 49.5% and 61.7%, respectively, had talked little or not at all with professionals during hospitalization and follow-up consultations.
Young cancer patients experience sexual and romantic challenges along with a lack of self-perceived attractiveness. Their substantial need for dialogue and counselling should be met in health care settings.
恶性肿瘤对成年人的性功能和性关系的负面影响已得到充分证实，但在青少年和年轻成年人中研究甚少。本研究旨在探讨丹麦 15 至 29 岁诊断为癌症的患者的体像、自我感知吸引力以及性/浪漫经历，并明确卫生保健提供者是否实际上满足了患者自我感知的咨询需求。
在 2009 年至 2013 年期间，对丹麦所有 15 至 29 岁被诊断为癌症的患者进行了一项横断面全国性问卷调查研究。共回收 822 份问卷，应答率为 45%。
超过一半的受访者（53.8%）表示癌症对其体像产生了负面影响，而 44.6%的人认为疾病降低了他们的吸引力。分别有近三分之一（31.3%）和四分之一（23.6%）的人经历了性欲下降或性冲动下降。女性受访者在大多数变量上比男性更受影响，乳腺癌患者发生性和浪漫困境的风险比皮肤黑色素瘤患者高约 4 倍。尽管超过 80%的人表示需要与卫生专业人员讨论性和亲密问题，但分别有 49.5%和 61.7%的人在住院和随访期间与专业人员几乎没有或根本没有交谈。
年轻癌症患者会经历性和浪漫方面的挑战，同时自我感知吸引力下降。他们对对话和咨询的巨大需求应在医疗保健环境中得到满足。
