Sexual satisfaction of Indonesian women with breast cancer in Central Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Background: The negative impact of breast cancer diagnosis on the sexuality of women patients is well-known. Sexual dissatisfaction arises from the disruption of physical appearance by the tumor or as a result of both operative or non-operative treatments. This study aimed to describe the perception of sexuality and its quality of breast cancer in Indonesian women.Methods: This descriptive study recruited women diagnosed with breast cancer that have undergone chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, either in singular, combination, or no treatment at all. The sexuality was assessed using the Indonesian version of the Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire (SEXSAT-Q).Results: A total of 113 female breast cancer patients ranging from 20 to 71 years old participated in the study. The majority of respondents were clinically diagnosed with stage II (36.2%) or higher (54.9%). Most patients underwent surgery (91.1%) and chemotherapy (85.8%). Before the diagnosis of cancer, the level of sexual satisfaction was good on average, which remained stagnant for 64 (56.6%) participants during cancer treatment. Significant anxiety and distress were reported by 35 patients (31.0%), depression by 21 patients (18.6%), and tiredness by 48 patients (42.5%).Conclusion: The sexual satisfaction of women with breast cancer patients in our study group is average on general, prior or after cancer diagnosis. However, the treatment's negative psychological impact is quite profound, affecting almost half of the study participants.