Sexual identity following breast cancer treatments in premenopausal women

Abstract

The phenomenon in focus for this study was the sexual identity preserved in premenopausal women due to breast cancer treatments. During the last decade the methods of breast cancer treatments have become more aggressive and many women have had to undergo surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, as well as three to five years of hormone therapy. All these forms of treatment can have negative side effects on their sexual capability. The purpose of this study was to describe the meaning structure and the constituents of sexual identity in the lifeworld of premenopausal women. Six informants who had become menopausal following cancer treatment were interviewed about their experiences related to their sexual identity. Their ages varied between 38 and 48 years. The empirical phenomenological psychological (EPP) method was used. The meaning structure of the phenomenon could be symbolized using the metaphor of a bird which is pinioned and unable to fly. The women perceived their sexual identity as being inhibited in different ways. They felt odd and marginalized as women, and it was only within a support group that they felt completely confirmed. A future challenge for the health care professionals would be to care for their patients on the basis of their lifeworld experiences. Key words: Breast cancer, lived experience, premenopausal, sexuality identity