Sexuality in irish women with gynecologic cancer

Advancements in cancer detection and treatment have led to increased survival rates among patients with cancer (Tierney, 2008), but cancer survivorship is associated with distressing long-term side effects that can negatively influence patients' sexual health (Stilos, Doyle, & Daines, 2008). According to the National Cancer Institute (2010), sexual dysfunction is the most common side effect of cancer treatment, affecting 50% of gynecologic cancer survivors. However, Sheerin and McKenna (2000) proposed that the nursing literature is lacking in a holistic conceptualization of sexuality that has contributed to a dominant focus on the physical aspect of sexual functioning with a neglect of broader dimensions of sexuality in nursing research. Nursing research exploring the sexuality of patients with a diagnosis of cancer within an Irish context is scarce (Lavin & Hyde, 2006). In addition, traditional Irish culture and the influence of strong religious beliefs may have contributed to the consideration of sexuality as a taboo subject among Irish women (Lavin & Hyde, 2006). However, since the mid-1990s, the influence of the Catholic Church has declined, resulting in a change of attitudes toward sexuality (Higgins, Barker, & Begley, 2009; Lavin & Hyde, 2006), enabling nurses and healthcare professionals in Ireland to address sensitive issues such as sexuality more easily.