Gynecological cancer survivors experience a broad range of sexual concerns after diagnosis and treatment. Survivor perception about sex after gynecological cancer treatment may influence their sexual adaptation and sexual relationship. Patients often believe false information and myths about their health condition and treatment that must be addressed by healthcare professionals.This study develops a needs-based, gender-sensitive sexual health educational program for women with gynecological cancer in Taiwan to improve gynecological cancer women’s sexual health problems and impacts after diagnosis and treatment.
Methods:
This is a two-year research project. The first stage explores the sexual experiences and health educational needs of Taiwanese women who received gynecological cancer treatment using the triangulation method, which includes quantitative and qualitative research, textual analysis and gender analysis. Sexual health education strategies are then established. The second stage designs and develops a gender-sensitive sexual health education program for women with Gynecologic cancer. This program is designed in accordance with the patient’s needs assessment and health educational strategy results obtained from the first stage.
Results:
According to the needs assessment results, the study identified the gender blindness and sexual myths that affected the sexual health care of gynecological cancer women after gender analysis. Four sexual health information elements are then proposed for women with Gynecologic cancer, which include the elimination of gender blindness and sexual myths, self-reconstruction, sexual physiology adaptation, and sexual expression and communication. Finally, this study establishes a Gender-Sensitive Sexual Health Education program for women with Gynecological Cancer that includes 15 min of individual, interactive sexual health education and an interactive self-help pamphlet.
Conclusion:
It is hoped that this program will provide health care professionals with the understanding to educate their patients about gynecological women’s sexual life. Moreover, this study is intended to help cultivate sexual healthcare professionals with gender-sensitivity and promote gynecological cancer patient sexual health care practices implementation.
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