Sexuality and Survivorship: A qualitative look at women's lived experiences

Background: What happens at the intersection of sexuality and cancer survivorship is important to cancer survivors and co-survivors.  Survivors of breast and gynecological cancers often experience disruptions to body image, sexual function, and hormonal levels that are common after surgery, during treatment, and years into survivorship.   These fluctuations may lead to necessary changes in expressions of sex and sexuality or definitions of femininity. Little qualitative information exists to describe the full impact of breast and gynecological cancers and the ensuing survivorship on the sexuality of these women. 

Methods: After review and approval from the IRB at UNMC, a respondent-driven convenience sample of female cancer survivors aged 19 and older was used to collect in-depth interviews. Presently, four interviews have been conducted. Data gleaned from these semi-structured interviews will be used to investigate the intersection of sexuality with breast and gynecological cancer survivorship.  Trends and major themes will be developed from transcripts of the interviews using script theory as a basis for identifying and interpreting findings.

Results: Preliminary findings indicate three themes: the perceived diminished role of the physician; that sexuality during survivorship is more of an issue than during treatment; and the essential role of the co-survivor.

Conclusion: Using the participants own words, a specific survivorship script of sexuality will be developed.  This script could be used later to inform research, and to develop a better understanding of and a better capacity to manage issues that occur at this intersection of chronic disease management and sex.