Sexual health of female breast cancer survivors and their partners

Abstract

Purpose To investigate sexual health in breast cancer survivors and their partners, focusing on sexual satisfaction, changes in satisfaction with partner sexuality before vs. after the diagnosis, and unmet informational needs on sexual health in the context of breast cancer.

Methods Breast cancer patients and their partners were surveyed at a single time point 1–5 years after having completed primary therapy for breast cancer as part of a cross-sectional study. Study participants completed self-report-questionnaires covering personal characteristics, a question on satisfaction with partner sexuality before (retrospective assessment) versus after the diagnosis (based on the Sexual Medicine Questionnaire for Chronic Diseases (SFCE)), the EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer) Sexual Health Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-SH22) together with the EORTC Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), and a questionnaire assessing sexual health care. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic and clinical data. For group comparisons, dyadic dependencies were accounted for, applying paired t tests when normality (Shapiro–Wilk test) was met and Wilcoxon signed-rank test otherwise.

Results A total of 128 participants (64 patients, 64 partners) were enrolled. Sexual satisfaction did not differ between patients (M = 55, SD = 20.9) and partners (M = 56.7, SD = 20) (t test, p = 0.46). A positive correlation was found between patients’ and partners’ sexual satisfaction (r = 0.62, p < 0.0001). Satisfaction with partner sexuality was lower after diagnosis (p < 0.001, r = 0.54)—with both patients and partners being less satisfied after the diagnosis (M = 2.58, SD = 0.95) than before (M = 3.14, SD = 0.74). Overall, 75% of the study participants reported not having received information about sexual health issues related to breast cancer, while 64% expressed a desire for more information.

Conclusion The findings of this study highlight the importance of considering couple dynamics in breast cancer care. Patients and partners have unmet needs concerning sexual health in the context of breast cancer. Addressing sexuality may improve quality of life and psychosocial adjustment. Future research should include larger, more diverse samples and focus on assessing sexuality and sexual health as multidimensional constructs in line with WHO (World Health Organization) definitions.