Evidence Supporting Couple-Based Interventions for the Recovery of Sexual Intimacy After Prostate Cancer Treatment

Abstract

During the past 10 years, interventions supporting couples’ sexual recovery after prostate cancer treatment have been developed and tested. We sought to review these intervention studies to determine the degree to which they have been effective. Eleven studies (4 pilot studies and 7 randomized controlled trials) were reviewed. Our findings suggest that outcomes, such as sexual function, relationship satisfaction, or intimacy, are minimally improved. However, the interventions succeed in increasing couples’ knowledge of the treatment-related sexual side effects and rehabilitation, men’s use of ED treatments, partners’ attitudes to ED, and couples’ maintenance of sexual engagement. Based on the findings, we propose that further research on couple-based interventions continue to identify meaningful outcomes sensitive to change with the goal of protecting couples from losing sexual relationships despite treatment-related functional losses. An analytic approach that measures patient-partner mutual influence on outcomes is also recommended.