Altered Sexuality and Body Image after Gynecological Cancer Treatment: How Can Psychologists Help?

Once medical treatment for gynecological cancer is completed what happens to patients sexuality and body image? Due to the delicate nature of the cancer site treating this cancer typically affects sexual functioning and body Image adversely making it critical to identify the concerns of these patients and do so in a manner less restrictive than paper and pencil assessment To gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenological experiences in question we interviewed nine gynecological cancer patients and seven cancer free women After implementing a relaxation protocol we asked each woman to describe her feelings and thoughts on her sexuality and body image in one on one interviews A variety of themes emerged on patients attitudes and perspectives concerning sexuality and body image following diagnosis and treatment of the cancer The themes that were considerably different from those of the cancer free women included worsened sexual functioning and body image abrupt shifts in self identity due to loss of physical integrity and distancing in intimate relationships Several implications of these findings for clinical practice are discussed as well as the need to train medical professionals to properly assess these patients alterations in sexuality