Sexual experience of partners of women with breast cancer: a narrative review
Keywords:
Breast tumor, Intimate partners, Sexual behaviorAbstract
The objective of this study is to identify in the literature the experience of sexual life of sexual partners of women with breast cancer, as well as the quality of sexual life and perception of self-image of women with the disease. The methodology used was a narrative review of the literature. The search was carried out in the PubMed and Scielo databases. The descriptors breast cancer, sexual partners, sexual behavior, sexual activity, sexuality and treatment were used. Thus, three categories were created: quality of sexual life, perceptions of self-image and sexual experience of intimate partners. The results revealed that the quality of sexual life is altered in the face of breast cancer, especially when there is a lack of open dialogue between the couple. The self-image perception of mastectomized women differs from the self-perception of women who have not undergone the procedure. Still, the sexual experience of the partners is affected by unmet sexual expectations, the partner's physical changes and also the cessation of sexual practice. Thus, more studies are needed that focus on intimate partners and their experiences with breast cancer. In order to computerize and promote a better quality of life and sexual experience.
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