Gynecologic cancer survivor preferences for provider communication regarding sexual health after treatment: a qualitative study
Purpose Survivorship from gynecologic cancers is becoming increasingly prevalent. There are significant sexual side effects that influence quality of life that would be reduced with proper intervention; however, existing literature highlights the lack of understanding of the sexual health needs with...
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| Published in: | Supportive care in cancer Vol. 32; no. 10; p. 629 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Berlin/Heidelberg
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
01-10-2024
Springer Nature B.V |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Purpose
Survivorship from gynecologic cancers is becoming increasingly prevalent. There are significant sexual side effects that influence quality of life that would be reduced with proper intervention; however, existing literature highlights the lack of understanding of the sexual health needs within this population. Furthermore, multiple studies show that one contributing factor to sexual well-being in survivorship is provider-patient communication. The aim of this study is to explore experiences of sexual distress and survivor experiences of sexual health communication.
Methods
Adult participants who had been out of active treatment for 3 months were recruited to participate in focus groups. Six focus groups (
n
= 32) were conducted with survivors of gynecologic cancers via Zoom. Research team members analyzed content using thematic analysis.
Results
Two broad themes were identified: Experiences of provider communication and Preferences for provider communication, with subthemes nested under both. Subthemes from the
Experiences
theme included absent/lacking communication, negative experiences, emotional reaction to lack of communication, and feeling like sexuality was not valued. Subthemes from the
Preferences
theme included more conversation and open communication about sexuality, more resources/referrals, and more provider training on sexuality.
Conclusion
Survivor experiences of subjective sexual health are often dependent on the type and quality of information they receive from their healthcare team during treatment. Unfortunately, the majority of participants endorsed negative or absent communication related to their sexual health needs, leading to additional distress. |
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| Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
| ISSN: | 0941-4355 1433-7339 1433-7339 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s00520-024-08787-7 |