Sexuality of Moroccan Survivors of Cervical Cancer: A Prospective Data

Abstract

Introduction:This is a prospective study aiming to describe how cervical cancer and its treatment can affect the sexuality of a specific population of Moroccan women survivors of this disease.Materiels and Methods:It is a comparison of clinical features and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) of 3 balanced groups of women, made up of 100 survivors of cervical cancer, 100 survivors of non-gynecological cancer and a group of 100 healthy women.Results:97% of the patients stopped their full sexual activity at the time of treatment; the time interval between treatment and regular sexual activity was 8 months for the cervical cancer group, and 5.8 months for non-gynecologic cancer (P =0.001). Vaginal length assessed by pelvic examination during follow up visits was estimated at about 6.2 cm, 9.2 cm and 9.5 cm respectively for the cervical cancer group, non-gynecologic cancer group and the control group (p=0.04). On the basis of the FSFI questionnaire, the analysis of the 6 main sexuality parameter scores did attest worse results for the variables related to sexual function for cervical cancer group, but not in a statistically significant way.Conclusion:In order to preserve an optimal quality of life after cervical cancer, the sexual dimension is a crucial parameter to take into consideration throughout treatment phases, especially radiation (by encouraging sexual intercourses, and using vaginal dilators during the treatment). Moroccan survivors of this disease must be treated according to a multidisciplinary approach, that includs the psychological component.

Sexual activity and cancer: A systematic review of prevalence, predictors and information needs among female Arab cancer survivors

“…Prevalence of sexual activity was assessed by asking women if they engaged in sexual activity during and after the cancer treatment. Sexual function was assessed using the Watts Sexual Function Questionnaire (WSFQ) (Abasher, 2009 ), sexuality items of the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ‐BR23) (Jassim & Whitford, 2014 ; Leila et al, 2016 ), the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) (Dahbi et al, 2018 ; Sbitti et al, 2011 ) and investigator‐developed instrument (Errihani et al, 2010 ). The WSFQ is a 17‐item self‐report instrument, and each item is measured on a 5‐point Likert scale (1–5) with scores ranging from 17 to 85.…”

“…Five studies reported on prevalence of sexual activity in Arab cancer survivors (Abasher, 2009 ; Dahbi et al, 2018 ; Errihani et al, 2010 ; Leila et al, 2016 ; Sbitti et al, 2011 ). The reported prevalence of sexual activity ranged from 3% (Dahbi et al, 2018 ) to 84% (Sbitti et al, 2011 ) (pooled estimate 39.2%, 95% CIs 12.6% to 69.8%, I 2 = 98.1%) (Figure 2 ).…”

“…Five studies reported on prevalence of sexual activity in Arab cancer survivors (Abasher, 2009 ; Dahbi et al, 2018 ; Errihani et al, 2010 ; Leila et al, 2016 ; Sbitti et al, 2011 ). The reported prevalence of sexual activity ranged from 3% (Dahbi et al, 2018 ) to 84% (Sbitti et al, 2011 ) (pooled estimate 39.2%, 95% CIs 12.6% to 69.8%, I 2 = 98.1%) (Figure 2 ). For women with breast cancer only ( n = 3 studies) (Abasher, 2009 ; Leila et al, 2016 ; Sbitti et al, 2011 ), the reported prevalence of sexual activity ranged from 40% (Abasher, 2009 ) to 84% (Sbitti et al, 2011 ) (pooled estimate 58.3%, 95% CIs 29.4% to 84.5%, I 2 = 95.5%).…”

“…Three studies reported on sexual satisfaction scores in Arab cancer survivors (Dahbi et al, 2018 ; Leila et al, 2016 ; Sbitti et al, 2011 ). The sexual satisfaction scores using the FSIF ranged from 3.6 (0.9) (Sbitti et al, 2011 ) to 3.8 (2.2) (Dahbi et al, 2018 ) while the sexual satisfaction scores using the QLQ‐BR23 were 43.9 (25.1) (Leila et al, 2016 ).…”

“…The types of sexual dysfunctions in women were reported in four studies (Dahbi et al, 2018;Errihani et al, 2010;Leila et al, 2016;Sbitti et al, 2011).…”