Women with a gynaecological cancer can experience physical and emotional side effects from their cancer treatment. Treatment can alter their behaviours, attitudes and feelings towards sexuality and intimacy.
Sexuality and Psychosexual Issues
Sexuality is not only about physical intimacy, but includes a person's behaviours, desires and attitudes about themselves and how they express themselves to others. Sexuality can be expressed in many ways, from the clothes someone wears, the way they talk or the way they move, to the way someone expresses themself during physical intimacy1.
Psychosexual issues are when someone has trouble with their sexuality. It can be a physical, mental or psychological concern. Sometimes it can be a minor concern which is easily overcome, while other times it can be more serious. Depending on the severity, the level and type of intervention required can vary.
Psychosexual Issues Experienced by Women with Gynaecological Cancer
Women with gynaecological cancers experience physical and mental changes as a result of treatment. The mental or psychosexual issues that can be experienced by women with gynaecological cancers include:
- Changes to body image or how a woman sees herself and how she thinks others see her;
- Loss of femininity as a result of treatment removing reproductive organs or causing menopause in pre-menopausal women;
- Feeling a loss of wholeness, which is a result of reproductive organs being removed;
- Isolation from others;
- Fear of rejection from their partner;
- Fear that sexual activity will result in pain or will cause the cancer to reappear;
- A loss of pleasure and / or interest in intimacy with their partner.
- Guilt; and
- Heightened negative emotions.
Project Objectives
- To develop the skills of primary, secondary and tertiary health professionals in providing effective psychosexual care to women and their partners affected by a gynaecological cancer; and
- To improve quality of life for women who have been affected by a gynaecological cancer and their partners.
Project Deliverables
This project has developed a module that addresses the psychosexual health needs of women who have been treated for ovarian, endometrial, cervical, vulval cancers and other gynaecological cancers.
Further information on the contents of the training module can be found through the Training Module Contents section of this site or go to the PSGC modules on the Cancer learning website at www.cancer.learning.gov.au/psgc for the online resource.
1 Cancer Council, “Sexual Intimacy and Cancer: A guide for people with cancer, their families and friends”, Page 4.