Cancer and Sexuality - a Neglected Issue?

Chapter 6: Cancer and Sexuality - a Neglected Issue?

Overview:

• Clarifies how important sexuality is in times of a cancer diagnosis
• Lists ways to express sexuality
• Describes the effects of cancer on sexuality
• Explains the effects of treatment on sexual health with additional tables to aid explanation
• Gives in-depth explanations of how body image changes during cancer and its treatments
• Describes the major areas in which nurses can intervene to ease the impact of the negative effects of cancer and its treatments on sexual health

Description:

This chapter gives in-depth explanations and reasoning in regard to the great importance of not ignoring sexuality due to the diagnosis of cancer. It gives advice to nurses and other health professionals as to how to deal with sexual health issues as part of their professional practice and encourages them of the importance of doing so frequently.

Topics:

• The effects of cancer on sexuality
• The effects of treatment on sexual health
  • The hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis
  • The effects of surgery on sexual health
• Body image
  • Psychological and physical effects
• Nursing management of sexual health
  • Reproductive counselling
  • Egg freezing
• Sexual assessment and education
• References

Speaker / Author:

Stephanie Wellard
Post Basic Chemotherapy Nursing Certificate; Graduate Diploma in Health Education, Lincoln Institute, Melbourne; Graduate Diploma in Health Administration, La Trobe University; Nurse Manager, Chemotherapy Unit, Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute.

Stephanie has been employed at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute for many years as a Clinical Nurse Consultant specialising in chemotherapy administration and education. Her major interests centre around patient education and the psychosocial aspects of patient care. Much of Stephanie’s time is devoted to developing educational resources for both people with cancer and people who work with them. Stephanie teaches in courses run by the Department of Nursing Education at Peter MacCallum, specialising in sexuality, cytotoxic administration and the ethical and legal aspects of chemotherapy nursing.

Trish Joyce
Graduate Diploma in Cancer Nursing, Registered Nurse. Trish Joyce is a Clinical Nurse Specialist in the haematology unit at Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute and a Clinical Nurse Consultant in the Institute’s day chemotherapy unit. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Cancer Nursing.

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