Post-Mastectomy Experiences of Young Women, the Case of Harar, Eastern Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: Despite contemporary initiatives to raise breast cancer awareness, mastectomy as a surgical therapy for breast cancer may have a detrimental impact on a woman's life. Intervention to address the variety of challenges encountered in their personal and family lives postmastectomy is the other side of therapy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the experiences of young women’s lives after breast surgery for breast cancer in Harar, Ethiopia. Methods: The study was undertaken in one specialized university hospital between February and June 2023. A purposive sampling technique was used to sample participants. One-on-one, in-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide, aided by audio recording. The data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed to identify themes and subthemes. Then the report was reviewed using the COREQ (Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies) check list. Results: The study identified five major themes on the impact of mastectomy, namely body image changes, relationships with husbands and sexual life, coping with life postmastectomy, health risks, and silent stigma and perception of sinfulness by society. Conclusions: Postmastectomy, women experience body image changes, relationships with husbands and sexual life, coping with life postmastectomy, health risks, and the silent stigma and perception of sinfulness by society. The study's findings are helpful in advancing knowledge on a variety of challenges encountered postmastectomy, the need to actively incorporate psycho-emotional and husband-supportive rehabilitation into their care, creating community awareness to solve misconceptions, and additional multi-perspective research.