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Lee and Lee: Sexual Experiences of Women with Breast Cancer
Original Article
Journal of Korean Oncology Nursing

Journal of Korean Oncology Nursing 2011; 11(3): 210-220.

Published online: 30 November 2011

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5388/jkon.2011.11.3.210

Sexual Experiences of Women with Breast Cancer

Gyeong Nam Lee1, Dong-Suk Lee2

1Full-Time Lecturer, Department of Nursing, Hallym College, Chuncheon, Korea.

2Associate Professor, Department of Nursing, Kangwon National University · Health Care Research Center, Chuncheon, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Lee, Dong-Suk. Department of Nursing, Kangwon National University · Health Care Research Center, 1 Ganwondaehak-gil, Chuncheon 200-701, Korea. Tel: 82-33-250-8887, Fax: 82-33-242-8840, ds1119@kangwon.ac.kr

Received 20 September 2011       Accepted 31 October 2011

© 2011 Korean Oncology Nursing Society

Abstract

Purpose

The aims of this study were to describe and interpret the nature of the experience inherent in the sex life of female breast cancer patients after treatment and understand the meaning behind it.

Methods

The participants were 10 female breast cancer patients who were married. Data were collected from March to September 2010. Van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenology was adopted in this qualitative study as a research method.

Results

There were 4 essential topics in the participants' experience of sex life; 'Sex life alert' was a result of negative changes in sexual relationships with spouse that they had never experienced before the breast cancer diagnosis; 'Precarious situation for pending divorce' was an experience of deteriorated sex life because of the failure to overcome 'sex life alert'; 'Sublimation of the difficulties by discovering an alternative solution' was an experience of discovering a solution to overcome the 'sexlife alert'. 'Leaving it as unsettled' was an experience of a condition in which the participants did not have any intension to resolve the difficulties in sex life due to the lack of appropriate support, thus tried to ignore the challenges faced.

Conclusion

This study illustrates the necessity to develop proper nursing intervention on the issues related to sex life among breast cancer patients. Given the fact that the sexual topics are often considered taboo in day to day nursing practice, special attention and efforts need to be given in this area to build up nursing knowledge and evidence-based practice.

Keywords: Breast Neoplasms, Sexual Behavior, Qualitative Research

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