The Effect of Post-Operative Sexual Counseling Carried out with PLISSIT Model on Sexual Function and Sexual Satisfaction in Gynecologic Cancers

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to determine the effect of sexual counseling on the sexual functions and sexual satisfaction of women who underwent surgical treatment due to gynecologic cancer. 
 Methods: The study sample consisted of 60 women (experimental group n = 30, control group n = 30) with ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancer. The women in the experimental group received sexual counseling according to PLISSIT, while the women in the control group were not given sexual counseling but were monitored through routine follow-up. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women (SSS-W) were used for the first and last evaluations of the groups.
 Results: The mean age of the women in the experimental group was 51.87 ± 8.89, while it was 50.47 ± 9.43 in the control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of sexual function and sexual satisfaction levels in the first evaluation (p>.05), whereas there was a significant difference between the two groups in the final evaluation after the sexual counseling provided to the experimental group (p < .001). When the first and final evaluations of the women were considered, it was observed that 33.3% of the women in the experimental group had adequate sexual functioning in the final evaluation.
 Conclusion: The sexual counseling carried out using the PLISSIT model for women who were treated for gynecologic cancer positively affected their sexual function and sexual satisfaction levels.