Prevalence, Classifications and Factors Associated With Sexual Dysfunction among Adult Cancer Patients on Chemotherapy at Uganda Cancer Institute, Mbarara

Abstract

Background: Sexual dysfunction is one of the social challenges that devastate many people among them cancer patients, but which is considered non-medical and often disregarded. Chemotherapeutics used among cancer patients are potential risk factors for development of SD and such understanding of these risk factors can lead to numerous interventions to bypass their effects on sexual life. Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence, classifications and factors associated with sexual dysfunctions among cancer patients on chemotherapy. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 214 cancer patients at the Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in south western Uganda for a period of 3 months from August to October 2023. A systematic sampling technique was employed in the study; a questionnaire was used to collect patient data. Standardized female sexual function index and international index of erectile function tools were used to classify types of sexual dysfunctions among women and men respectively. Sexual dysfunction associated factors were analyzed by logistic regression using stata version 17. Results: Two hundred and fourteen participants were enrolled 127 males and 87 females with a median age of 50 years; overall 90 (42.06%) of the patients, 68 (54.33 %) of males and 21 (24.14%) of females) experienced at least one domain of sexual dysfunction. At presentation majority of men 43 (33.86%) reported overall sexual dissatisfaction, while majority of the female 15 (18.39%) patients reported decreased sexual desire others being reduced arousal and vaginal pain. The multivariate logistic regression identified the independent risk factors for sexual dysfunctions: female gender (aOR 3.99, 95% CI 1.93-8.25; p value =0.001), Gastro intestinal cancers (aOR 3.46, 95% CI 1.34-8.93; p value =0.010) and anthracyclines (aOR 4.26, 95% CI 1.02, 17.76; p value=0.047) were statistically significant independent risk factors of sexual dysfunctions. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that there is a high prevalence of sexual dysfunctions among cancer patients at the Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. In male patients, the overall sexual dissatisfaction is the most prevalent while decreased sexual desire is prevalent in female. Routine screening of sexual functions should be encouraged among all patients receiving chemotherapies. Female patients, those diagnosed with gastro-intestinal cancers, and those on regimens containing anthracyclines should be more closely monitored for sexual dysfunction.