None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Sexuality and intimacy are key aspects of quality of life detrimentally affected by cancer, resulting in significant reductions in well-being for people with cancer and their partners However, health professionals rarely address this important health problem, and little is known about the factors which predict difficulties or re-negotiation of sexuality post-cancer This study will examine the experience and construction of intimacy and sexuality post-cancer, from the perspective of people with cancer, their partners, and health professionals, and elucidate pathways to difficulty or re-negotiation Based on these findings, programs of targeted couple interventions will be developed, and evaluated in a randomised controlled trial.
Interventions
Health professional intervention: minimal psycho-educational written information provision (self-help booklet) about cancer related sexual changes accompanied by a single session of counselling.
The health professional consultation consisted of the self-help booklet followed up two weeks later by a one-hour telephone or Skype consultation between the participant and a counsellor trained in discussing sexuality. Concerns or questions raised as a result of reading the booklet were discussed durin
Health professional intervention: minimal psycho-educational written information provision (self-help booklet) about cancer related sexual changes accompanied by a single session of counselling. The health professional consultation consisted of the self-help booklet followed up two weeks later by a one-hour telephone or Skype consultation between the participant and a counsellor trained in discussing sexuality. Concerns or questions raised as a result of reading the booklet were discussed during the consultation, and suggestions for ameliorating sexual problems, based on the specific needs of participants, were offered. The self-help information booklet is based on accounts of sexual concerns experienced by people with cancer and their partners, consultation with health professionals, and examination of existing written resources on cancer related sexual concerns. It consisted of 68 pages, which provided information about: what is sexuality and intimacy; how cancer and cancer treatment affects sexuality; the body and sex; sexuality across different stages of cancer; talking about sex and intimacy; information for partners and for single people; same-sex relationships; strategies for overcoming sexual concerns, including exploration of non-coital practices and intimacy; and support services available.
Sponsors
Professor Jane Ussher
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Self-nominated person with cancer, or the partner of a person with cancer who had experienced cancer related sexual concerns.
Exclusion criteria
None applied. No restrictions according cancer type, stage, treatments, time since diagnosis.
Outcome results
None listed