Abstract
BackgroundSexuality is an important aspect of quality of life for adolescent and young adults that remains understudied in cancer patients. Most current knowledge about how cancer and cancer treatments can affect patients’ sexuality pertains to reproductive cancer patients (breast, gynecological, male reproductive organs), whereas only little is known about how the disease affects the sex lives of patients with other types of cancer. This study examined sexual satisfaction and sexual supportive care needs among adolescent and young adult cancer patients, with a particular focus on how the type of cancer a person has is associated with these issues differently.MethodsFive hundred seventy-seven (n = 424 females, 73.5%) patients between 18 and 39 years of age at diagnosis and representing all major tumor entities completed the standardized questionnaire. The analysis addressed the following topics: sexual satisfaction (Life Satisfaction Questionnaire), sexual supportive care needs (Supportive Care Needs Survey), and changes in sexuality (Questions on Life Satisfaction Modules). These topics were tested by mean differences between reproductive and non-reproductive cancer, equivalence testing and regression analyses.ResultsAbout one third of the patients reported being dissatisfied with their sexuality and having supportive care needs in this area. Changes in sexuality were significantly more common in women with reproductive cancers than in those who had other types of cancer (t = − 2.693, p = .007), while both groups had equivalence in scores for sexual satisfaction and sexual supportive care needs. Reproductive cancers are not more associated with deterioration of sexual satisfaction (R2 = .002, p = .243), changes in sexuality (R2 = .006, p = .070) or increased sexual supportive care needs than non-reproductive cancers (R2 = .004, p = .131).ConclusionsThe results indicate that about a third of adolescents and young adults with both reproductive but also with non-reproductive cancer experience sexual dissatisfaction in similar measure. An equal percentage of these patients also express a desire to receive supportive care in this area. Consequently, health care professionals should address issues of sexuality and cancer as a matter of routine when caring for young adults even when patients have a non-reproductive cancer.
Highlights
Sexuality is an important aspect of quality of life for adolescent and young adults that remains understudied in cancer patients
The remaining 99 patients still were on hormone or antibody treatment, which is for some diagnosis like breast cancer according to guidelines necessary for up to 5 years after diagnosis [56]
It is increasingly apparent that these patients experience sexual impairments [36, 66] as well as decreased satisfaction [67, 68], and that these issues need to be addressed in counselling interventions [69]
Summary
Sexuality is an important aspect of quality of life for adolescent and young adults that remains understudied in cancer patients. During adolescence primary and secondary sexual characteristics begin to develop and the experience of both having and being the object of sexual desire evolves [4]. Often it a time during which a person’s first sexual interactions take place, while early adulthood is marked by gaining sexual experience [5, 6]. Young adults’ sexuality has a significant impact on the rest of their lives as that is usually the time during which long-term partnerships are formed and family planning takes place [7]
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