Sex after breast cancer treatment has hitherto been studied chiefly by quantitative
methods, which have found that at least a third of women concerned have sexual
difficulties. The reasons for this were not clearly identified, but were usually held to be
associated with depressed mood and negative body image. This study gathered
information about sex and the couple relationship by means of in-depth interviews with
fdteen women, and reports their experiences as they recounted them. All had been
treated with breast surgery, four with radiotherapy, nine with chemotherapy and eight
with the hormone treatment, tamoxifen. Fourteen had had sex since their treatment, and
twelve of these had sexual difficulties they had not been having before the treatment,
These difficulties were not connected with either mood changes or body image concerns,
but were mainly due to problems with desire and orgasm and to vulva1 and vaginal
symptoms. Most women attributed these problems to menopause, whether natural,
induced by the chemotherapy or exacerbated by tamoxifen. The couple relationship in
this circumstance has not been intensively studied until now. The study found that a
positive shift commonly took place in the less stable relationships, so that the couple
became closer, and sex, including heterosexual intercourse, became more acceptable to
the woman. There was no change in the stable relationships. In both stable and less
stable relationships, though intercourse was wished for by the heterosexual women, the
sexual difficulties described above inhibited its successful accomplishment. The study
also reports the coping methods used by the women and their experience of trying to find
information about the subject of sex and sexual difficulties, from health professionals and
other sources.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/218642 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Gray, Jeannie, Jeannie.Gray@canberra.edu.au |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Professional & Community Education |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Jeannie Gray |
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