Impact of cervical cancer on the sexual and physical health of women diagnosed with cervical cancer in Ghana: A qualitative phenomenological study

Abstract

Introduction: Although cervical cancer is preventable, it is a major gynecological disorder among women currently. More than 500,000 new cases of cervical cancer are being diagnosed across the globe, with one woman dying of cervical cancer every 2 min. In addition, about half of cervical cancer survivors have challenges with their sexual function. Despite these findings, literature regarding the sexual function of women with cervical cancer is scanty. The study aims to assess cervical cancer’s impact on the sexual and physical health of women diagnosed with cervical cancer in Ghana. Methods: The researchers of this study employed a qualitative approach with phenomenological design. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 30 participants engaged in face-to-face in-depth interviews that were audio-recorded. The content of the transcripts was analyzed using content analysis. Results: This study revealed that cervical cancer patients experienced low libido due to the cervical cancer symptoms and the side effects of chemotherapy. This low libido made them divert their sexual gratification from the vagina to other centers of the body. Findings further revealed that some participants showed apathy toward their partners’ sexual feelings. Some physical problems experienced by the participants were also unraveled. Conclusion: Cervical cancer affects all aspects of a woman’s health, including sexual function and physical well-being. Therefore, there is the need for more to help address challenges faced by cervical cancer women about their sexual and physical health.

Experiences of women awaiting cervical CANCER screening results from selected hospitals in Accra, Ghana

“…This finding agrees with the survey in India which indicated that vaginal discharge was the commonest complaint followed by inter-menstrual bleeding among women who were referred to do cervical cancer screening [ 29 ]. Similarly, the study findings aligned with a survey done in Ghana previously where participants who reported severe bleeding were eager to have the screening done and know the resulting outcome since it has affected their sexual activities and other lifestyles [ 30 ].…”

Psychosocial aspects of adult cancer patients: A scoping review of sub‐Saharan Africa

“…Psychosocial issues commonly reported in most of the studies were related to physical strength, 28 emotional distress, 29–31 anxiety and depression, 29,32–38 sub‐optimal pain control, 39 body image/body issues (abnormal body sensations, feelings of unattractiveness, poor self‐esteem), 28,40–46 health information need, 47–49 support system lack, 45,50 relationship disruptions (e.g., rejection of sexual activities from their spouse, changes in the work role etc. ), 45,48,51–55 sexual dysfunction, 28,56 financial difficulties, 29,46,56,57 existential threats of the diagnosis of cancer 58,59 and stigma and social exclusion attached to the illness 29,46,59,60 . In addition, belief in the supernatural causation of cancer held sway among adult patients with cancer in SSA and this affected the type of help sought by the participants 61,62 .…”

“…Heterogeneous self-esteem), 28,[40][41][42][43][44][45][46] health information need, [47][48][49] support system lack, 45,50 relationship disruptions (e.g., rejection of sexual activities from their spouse, changes in the work role etc. ), 45,48,[51][52][53][54][55] sexual dysfunction, 28,56 financial difficulties, 29,46,56,57 existential threats of the diagnosis of cancer 58,59 and stigma and social exclusion attached to the illness. 29,46,59,60 In addition, belief in the supernatural causation of cancer held sway among adult patients with cancer in SSA and this affected the type of help sought by the participants.…”

Sexual Functioning of Patients with Gynecologic Cancers: A Qualitative Synthesis

“…Eleven of the studies mentioned that gynecologic cancer patients frequently cause changes in sexual function, including lack of orgasm, difficulty evoking physical arousal, loss of desire in sexual activity, and discomfort during sexual activities [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]). The majority of women who reported their sexual experiences said that the illness process made them unwilling to engage in sexual activity after receiving cancer therapy and treatment [14].…”

“…Subtheme 1A: Desire Gynecologic cancer-related sexual desire was one of the most frequently reported patient complaints; it was mentioned in ten of the studies that were included [16,17,18,19,21,22,24,25,26,27] . Sexual desire is impacted in women who have gynecologic cancer and several treatment modalities such as chemotherapy or surgery [19,25]. One of the participants said: "It feels like I am empty inside because my uterus was removed.…”