Table 5.
Differences in Self‐Reported Sexual Activities, Functioning, and Concerns in Cancer Survivors Diagnosed Within the Last 5 Years and Cancer Survivors Diagnosed More Than 5 Years Ago in Comparison With Controls: Women
| Controls (n = 3367), %a | Cancer Survivors Diagnosed < 5 y Ago (n = 63) | Cancer Survivors Diagnosed ≥ 5 y Ago (n = 278) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| %a | Adjusted OR (95% CI) | P | %a | Adjusted OR (95% CI) | P | ||
| Sexual activity and behavior | |||||||
| Any sexual activity in the past year | |||||||
| All | 55.5 | 61.0 | 1.11 (0.62‐1.97) | .73 | 57.5 | 1.19 (0.89‐1.61) | .25 |
| Living with a partner | 71.1 | 70.9 | 0.83 (0.42‐1.61) | .58 | 69.4 | 1.00 (0.68‐1.47) | .99 |
| Not living with a partner | 25.0 | 27.9 | 0.92 (0.18‐4.58) | .91 | 30.8 | 1.58 (0.89‐2.80) | .12 |
| Thinking about sex frequently | 47.2 | 48.2 | 0.90 (0.49‐1.63) | .72 | 51.5 | 1.25 (0.93‐1.69) | .15 |
| Frequent sexual intercourseb | 50.1 | 46.8 | 1.01 (0.49‐2.06) | .98 | 49.8 | 0.97 (0.66‐1.43) | .89 |
| Frequent kissing, petting, or fondlingb | 67.8 | 60.1 | 0.65 (0.32‐1.33) | .24 | 71.6 | 1.06 (0.71‐1.58) | .78 |
| Sexual function | |||||||
| Difficulty becoming sexually arousedc | 31.8 | 55.4 | 2.75 (1.21‐6.26) | .016 | 23.5 | 0.63 (0.37‐1.09) | .097 |
| Difficulty achieving orgasmc | 28.3 | 60.6 | 4.72 (1.98‐11.24) | <.001 | 19.1 | 0.65 (0.37‐1.16) | .14 |
| Sexual health concerns and satisfaction | |||||||
| Concerned about … | |||||||
| Level of sexual desire | 7.1 | 14.8 | 2.84 (1.34‐6.04) | .007 | 9.1 | 1.57 (0.94‐2.60) | .083 |
| Frequency of sexual activitiesb | 8.0 | 3.4 | 0.65 (0.12‐3.47) | .62 | 6.0 | 0.54 (0.22‐1.37) | .20 |
| Ability to become sexually arousedc | 7.6 | 6.3 | 0.85 (0.17‐4.14) | .84 | 6.4 | 0.73 (0.28‐1.93) | .53 |
| Orgasmic experiencec | 7.1 | 17.6 | 3.05 (1.04‐8.93) | .042 | 8.0 | 1.13 (0.48‐2.67) | .77 |
| Dissatisfied with overall sex lifeb | 11.8 | 16.5 | 1.55 (0.46‐5.22) | .48 | 18.7 | 1.93 (1.03‐3.61) | .039 |
Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; OR odds ratio.
The ORs are for the cancer survivors versus the controls (the reference group), and they have been adjusted for age and comorbidities. All analyses have been weighted for sampling probabilities and differential nonresponse. Bolded P values are significant.
a
Adjusted for age.
b
In participants reporting any sexual activity in the past year.
c
In participants reporting any sexual activity in the past month.