Journal article
Sexual quality of life following a cancer diagnosis: a qualitative study
Supportive Care in Cancer, Vol.31(2), pp.1-9
2023
PMCID: PMC9860240
PMID: 36680658
Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs
Abstract
Sexual quality of life (SQoL) challenges are prevalent and persistent for people with a cancer diagnosis. Using a qualitative design, this study investigated the impact of a cancer diagnosis on SQoL in participants (N = 18) with a current or past cancer diagnosis of various sites and severity. Thematic analysis identified three themes: gender attachment, vulnerability, and growth vs. fixed mindset. The theme of gender attachment related to the impact of understanding SQoL based on heteronormative definitions of masculinity and femininity. The second theme of vulnerability suggested that pre-existing relational or personal challenges can amplify the impact of a cancer diagnosis on SQoL. The third theme of growth vs. fixed mindset explored how cognitive flexibility and optimism can support SQoL, while a rigid and pessimistic mindset can exacerbate SQoL challenges. The findings of this study build on the traditional medical understanding of SQoL and can inform SQoL support in cancer care settings.
Details
- Title
- Sexual quality of life following a cancer diagnosis: a qualitative study
- Authors
- Lauren Haber (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - LegacyAndrew Allen (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - LegacyKarina T Rune (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
- Publication details
- Supportive Care in Cancer, Vol.31(2), pp.1-9
- Publisher
- Springer
- Date published
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00520-022-07459-8
- ISSN
- 1433-7339
- PMID
- 36680658; PMC9860240
- Copyright note
- This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Grant note
- Open Access funding enabled and organized by CAUL and its Member Institutions.
- Organisation Unit
- Cancer Research Cluster; School of Health - Psychology; Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit; External; School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99716194902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Health Care Sciences & Services
- Oncology
- Rehabilitation
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