Women's Experience of Sexuality and Body Image Following Treatment for Early Stage Vulvar Cancer

Abstract

This study reports on the experiences of sexuality and body image of ten women following surgery for early stage vulvar cancer. Vulvar cancer is a rare cancer, with only about 250 women diagnosed in Australia each year. Treatment for vulvar cancer has evolved to become highly individualised, with the emphasis now on performing the most conservative surgery consistent with cure of the cancer. There is limited information describing the psychosexual outcomes for these women. Much of the previous research conducted to determine the psychosexual outcomes of treatment for vulvar cancer, have been on women having had a more radical surgical approach than is currently performed. ... This study was only the second Australian study to investigate women's experience of sexuality and body image, and one of only a few studies to look exclusively at psychosexual issues for women with early stage vulvar cancer. The findings from this study may serve as a relevant platform for the development of future research into the psychosexual outcomes for women diagnosed and treated for vulvar cancer. The findings also relate to the practice of health care professionals working in this area, as they highlight areas that need improvement such as, access to timely and relevant information.