Sexuality and sexual dysfunction among women with breast cancer: a qualitative study in Kelantan, Malaysia

Women’s sexuality becomes complex after breast cancer treatment and sexual health often being neglected in medical care. Sexual dysfunction is highly prevalent among women with breast cancer in Malaysia however it remains invisible in clinical management of the illness. To explore the consequences a...

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Main Author:	Ya, Siti Nuryati Che
Format:	Thesis
Language:	English
Published:	2020
Subjects:	R Medicine (General)
Online Access:	http://eprints.usm.my/56908/1/SITI%20NURYATI%20BINTI%20CHE%20YA%20-%20%20e%2024.pdf
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id	my-usm-ep.56908
record_format	uketd_dc
spelling	my-usm-ep.569082023-02-14T08:42:07Z Sexuality and sexual dysfunction among women with breast cancer: a qualitative study in Kelantan, Malaysia 2020 Ya, Siti Nuryati Che R Medicine (General) RC254-282 Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology (including Cancer) Women’s sexuality becomes complex after breast cancer treatment and sexual health often being neglected in medical care. Sexual dysfunction is highly prevalent among women with breast cancer in Malaysia however it remains invisible in clinical management of the illness. To explore the consequences and coping strategies on sexuality and sexual health among the women with breast cancer in Malaysia. This qualitative study was conducted within phenomenological framework. 14 married women with breast cancer that fulfill the criteria for female sexual dysfunction (FSD) from Hospital USM and Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab 2 in Kelantan participated in in-depth and photo elicitation interviews between June 2018 until December 2018. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and transferred to analytic computer software NVivo® for data management. The transcriptions were analysed using thematic analysis based on the sexual script theory and meaning making theory. Finding shows that breast cancer treatments had disturbed the women’s sexual response cycle leading to changes in direction of meaning of sexuality from marriage intimacy to obligation that preferred physical affection rather than penetrative intercourse. The women struggled with feeling deficiency in gendered role. A few even noticed changes in husband’s sexual performance and these were in battling with inadequacy sentiment as a wife. Fear and guilt surfaced within the journey accompanied by the spouse’s emotion of either exposing frustration or becoming more attentive towards the women. To overcome sexual problem and sexual dysfunction, the women strived to accept the illness using religious belief and conform by altering sexual practises. These individuals positively look for solution by seeking formal healthcare advice, modify their physical appearance, active discussion with the husband and support from other survivors. A few of them passively struggle with the subject by averting the intimacy and receptive towards polygamy. The strength of this study includes phenomenological framework using in-depth and photo-elicitation interviews helps to explore delicate and sensitive issue about sexuality thoroughly. The limitations are only Malays, heterosexually married from low to middle socioeconomic background using purposive sampling were enrolled causing the finding cannot be generalised to other population. This study highlights the burden of breast cancer and its treatment on the sexual well-being of the patient and spouse hence recognising and addressing the sexual health will improve the overall survivorship experience. Women with breast cancer in this country embraced various mechanism that emphasised the pivotal role of religious belief and relationship context as key factors in the coping strategies. 2020 Thesis http://eprints.usm.my/56908/ http://eprints.usm.my/56908/1/SITI%20NURYATI%20BINTI%20CHE%20YA%20-%20%20e%2024.pdf application/pdf en public masters Universiti Sains Malaysia Pusat Pengajian Sains Perubatan
institution	Universiti Sains Malaysia
collection	USM Institutional Repository
language	English
topic	R Medicine (General) R Medicine (General)
spellingShingle	R Medicine (General) R Medicine (General) Ya, Siti Nuryati Che Sexuality and sexual dysfunction among women with breast cancer: a qualitative study in Kelantan, Malaysia
description	Women’s sexuality becomes complex after breast cancer treatment and sexual health often being neglected in medical care. Sexual dysfunction is highly prevalent among women with breast cancer in Malaysia however it remains invisible in clinical management of the illness. To explore the consequences and coping strategies on sexuality and sexual health among the women with breast cancer in Malaysia. This qualitative study was conducted within phenomenological framework. 14 married women with breast cancer that fulfill the criteria for female sexual dysfunction (FSD) from Hospital USM and Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab 2 in Kelantan participated in in-depth and photo elicitation interviews between June 2018 until December 2018. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and transferred to analytic computer software NVivo® for data management. The transcriptions were analysed using thematic analysis based on the sexual script theory and meaning making theory. Finding shows that breast cancer treatments had disturbed the women’s sexual response cycle leading to changes in direction of meaning of sexuality from marriage intimacy to obligation that preferred physical affection rather than penetrative intercourse. The women struggled with feeling deficiency in gendered role. A few even noticed changes in husband’s sexual performance and these were in battling with inadequacy sentiment as a wife. Fear and guilt surfaced within the journey accompanied by the spouse’s emotion of either exposing frustration or becoming more attentive towards the women. To overcome sexual problem and sexual dysfunction, the women strived to accept the illness using religious belief and conform by altering sexual practises. These individuals positively look for solution by seeking formal healthcare advice, modify their physical appearance, active discussion with the husband and support from other survivors. A few of them passively struggle with the subject by averting the intimacy and receptive towards polygamy. The strength of this study includes phenomenological framework using in-depth and photo-elicitation interviews helps to explore delicate and sensitive issue about sexuality thoroughly. The limitations are only Malays, heterosexually married from low to middle socioeconomic background using purposive sampling were enrolled causing the finding cannot be generalised to other population. This study highlights the burden of breast cancer and its treatment on the sexual well-being of the patient and spouse hence recognising and addressing the sexual health will improve the overall survivorship experience. Women with breast cancer in this country embraced various mechanism that emphasised the pivotal role of religious belief and relationship context as key factors in the coping strategies.
format	Thesis
qualification_level	Master's degree
author	Ya, Siti Nuryati Che
author_facet	Ya, Siti Nuryati Che
author_sort	Ya, Siti Nuryati Che
title	Sexuality and sexual dysfunction among women with breast cancer: a qualitative study in Kelantan, Malaysia
title_short	Sexuality and sexual dysfunction among women with breast cancer: a qualitative study in Kelantan, Malaysia
title_full	Sexuality and sexual dysfunction among women with breast cancer: a qualitative study in Kelantan, Malaysia
title_fullStr	Sexuality and sexual dysfunction among women with breast cancer: a qualitative study in Kelantan, Malaysia
title_full_unstemmed	Sexuality and sexual dysfunction among women with breast cancer: a qualitative study in Kelantan, Malaysia
title_sort	sexuality and sexual dysfunction among women with breast cancer: a qualitative study in kelantan, malaysia
granting_institution	Universiti Sains Malaysia
granting_department	Pusat Pengajian Sains Perubatan
publishDate	2020
url	http://eprints.usm.my/56908/1/SITI%20NURYATI%20BINTI%20CHE%20YA%20-%20%20e%2024.pdf
_version_	1776101178654851072

Sexuality and sexual dysfunction among women with breast cancer: a qualitative study in Kelantan, Malaysia

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