Abstract:

The aim is to identify the changes that women who receive gynekological cancer treatment experience in sexual life and to identify the effects of the changes they experience on sexuality. Method and tool: This study is planned as a qualitative study in which the phenomenological method is used in order to determine the changes in the sexual life of 20 women who have been diagnosed with endometrium, over and cervical cancer and have undergone surgery for cancer treatment. The women to be included in the study were selected as a result of the archive scan, with the aim of the sample method. The data were filled with a face-to-face interview using the indicative form of information prepared by researchers according to literature and a conversation form consisting of open end questions questioning the changes in women's post-cancer treatment sex life. The obtained data was coded and themes related to the subject were created by the content analysis method. Results: The age of the incidents varied from 29 to 62 years (median: 47,70±10,12). 10 of the women involved in the study were over, 8 were endometrium and 2 were cervical cancer. 16 of the cases had total abdominal histerectomy and bilateral salphingo ooferectomy (TAH+BSO), 1 total abdominal histerectomy (TAH) and 3 had radical histerectomy operations. The study identified subjects that show menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women as well as changes in body image and the negative effects on the sexual life of spouses. The women who participated in the study indicated that one of the complaints they experienced after cancer treatment was the loss of reproduction (n:11) and the other was the incapacity to continue their sexual function (n:16). The result: women experience an organ loss along with gynecological cancer treatment, sudden and early menopause associated with treatment makes the problems associated with sexual life more severe and complex. Keywords: Gynecological Cancer, Surgery Menopause, Sexuality