Exploring Cervical Cancer Treatments, Coping and Women's Sexual Self-Concept after Cervical Cancer

Background:  There is a long history of physical, psychological and sexual sequalae and stress associated with cervical cancer and treatment. The disease is stressful and it dramatically impairs sexuality and how women adjust after the disease and treatment. Yet, women and their families usually content with these circumstances in silence and for prolonged periods of time. How well women cope with cervical cancer and the related issues has long been thought to be important to their survivorship. Which strategies would help and when, was equally important. No empirical studies were found that focused on the relationship between coping and its association to women’s sexual self-concept. Sexual self-concept was defined as a combination of perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, and feelings that women hold about their sexual selves (Vickberg & Deaux, 2005). Just as self-concept is believed to be integral to being whole (Roy, 2009), sexual self-concept is conjectured to be an important part of women’s holism.       

 

Purpose:  The purpose of this study was to identify predictor sexual self-concept variables and examine associations among cervical cancer treatment, select demographic variables, coping and women’s sexual self-concept.

 

Methods:  A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design was utilized to examine relationships among cervical cancer treatment (e.g. surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and combinations), select demographic variables (e.g. age, race, cervical cancer stage, SES, subjective-objective health status, time since treatment began), coping (e.g. cognitive coping, positive or negative religious coping), and sexual self-concept (e.g. sexual-esteem and sexual satisfaction). 

Results:  No significant relations were identified between age, race, and cancer treatment. Cognitive coping concepts were important predictors of sexual self-concept and important associations between the coping variables and selected demographics were found. Significant relationships were found between health status and religious coping and overall the further women were from treatment the less cognitive coping was used. The sample of 99 women was diverse with 55% white women, 17% women of color that included African American, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native and mixed race, including heterosexual and homosexual women from 20 years to over 70 years of age, 70% had some college or a degree and reported a $35, 000 or more income. Findings revealed support for the coping variables as predictors related to women’s sexual self-concept.  

Conclusions:  Understanding how women cope prior to cancer treatment can be instructive to strategies to maintain/encourage a positive sexual self-concept and lessen stress during cervical cancer treatment. 

 

Vicksberg, S. M. J. & Deaux, K. (2005). Measuring the dimensions of women’s sexuality:  The women’s sexual self-concept scale. Sex Roles, 53(5/6), 361-369.

Roy, C. (2009). The Roy adaptation model (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.