Relationship of sexual dysfunction and its associated factors in women with genital and breast cancers

BACKGROUND: Sexuality is a basic and important factor in human experiences, which varies among different types of cancers. This study was carried out with the aim of defining the relationship between sexual dysfunction and related factors in genital and breast cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 150 women with genital and breast cancers admitted to two specialized hospitals in Isfahan and by using a two-stage sampling method. Participants completed demographic/disease questionnaire and sexual function questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed by using SPSS software version 14 and statistical tests of correlation coefficient, Student's t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: The obtained results showed that 47% of women had sexual dysfunction with the mean (SD) age of 47 (7.7) years (with the range of 25–65 years). There was a significant correlation between sexual functioning and age, occupation, educational level, and treatment duration (P < 0.05). There was also a significant correlation between the stage of disease, primary disorder (0.003), and recent disorder (0.028). Meanwhile, Chi-square test showed no significant relationship between cancer type and primary disorder (0.403) and recent disorder (0.416). CONCLUSIONS: Breast and genital cancers may result in significant difficulties with sexual functioning and sexual life. Addressing these problems is essential to improve the quality of life in women with cancer and further investigations should be conducted for prevention and treatment of disorders by the health authorities.