Table 4.
Patient-reported communication with health professionals and supportive measures and patients’ suggestions for sexual care, assessed by the CUPIDON questionnaire
| Evaluation of the received information and satisfaction | N = 45 | % |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Did you receive any information from the medical oncologist or another caregiver on the possible impacts of cancer and of your treatment on sexuality? | ||
| No | 24 | 53.3 |
| Yes1 | 12 | 26.7 |
| I don’t remember | 9 | 20.0 |
| 1Among the 12 patients: 10 were satisfied (agreed/fully agreed) by the received information and 2 had no opinion (question 2) | ||
| 2. I’m satisfied with the information I received about the possible impacts of cancer and the treatments on my sexuality | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 14 | 31.1 |
| No opinion | 19 | 42.2 |
| Agree/fully agree | 12 | 26.7 |
| 3. Have you had any discussion with the oncologist or another caregiver from the Cancer Center about potential sexual problems? | ||
| No | 39 | 86.7 |
| Yes | 6 | 13.3 |
| Talking about sexual health and barriers | N = 39 | % |
| 4. I did not discuss about sexuality because: | ||
| I had no question or I didn’t feel the need to discuss about it | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 6 | 15.4 |
| No opinion | 6 | 15.4 |
| Agree/fully agree | 27 | 69.2 |
| I considered sexuality as a minor issue compared to cancer treatment | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 9 | 23.1 |
| No opinion | 4 | 10.2 |
| Agree/fully agree | 26 | 66.7 |
| Physicians and/or nurses looked in a hurry or too busy | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 27 | 69.2 |
| No opinion | 2 | 5.1 |
| Agree/fully agree | 10 | 25.7 |
| I felt too shy and/or discomfort to discuss this topic | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 23 | 59.0 |
| No opinion | 4 | 10.2 |
| Agree/fully agree | 12 | 30.8 |
| I felt discomfort since my physician was a man and/or since I had no positive contact with him/her | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 34 | 87.2 |
| No opinion | 1 | 2.6 |
| Agree/fully agree | 4 | 10.2 |
| It is in contradiction with my education, beliefs, culture | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 36 | 92.3 |
| No opinion | 0 | 0.0 |
| Agree/fully agree | 3 | 7.7 |
| Management of sexual issues: evaluation of the needs in information and therapeutic proposals | N = 45 | % |
| 5. In my opinion, it is important that a physician and/or a caregiver from the Cancer Center addresses the issue of sexuality and its potential dysfunction due to the cancer or to cancer treatments | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 1 | 2.2 |
| No opinion | 4 | 8.9 |
| Agree/fully agree | 40 | 88.9 |
| 6. In my opinion, it is important that a physician and/or a caregiver from the Cancer Center addresses the issue of sexuality and its potential dysfunction due to the cancer or to cancer treatments with my partner | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 5 | 11.1 |
| No opinion | 6 | 13.3 |
| Agree/fully agree | 33 | 73.4 |
| No partner | 1 | 2.2 |
| 7. I would have wished that a consultation about sexuality was systematically proposed at the beginning of cancer treatment | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 12 | 26.7 |
| No opinion | 9 | 20.0 |
| Agree/fully agree | 24 | 53.3 |
| 8. I would have wished that a consultation about sexuality was available in the Cancer Center when needed during my treatment | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 2 | 4.4 |
| No opinion | 9 | 20.0 |
| Agree/fully agree | 34 | 75.6 |
|
9. Have you been using any of these methods for sexual purpose since the beginning of your disease? (each sub-item was binary, only category ‘ yes’ is shown) | ||
| Consultation with a psychologist | 8 | 17.8 |
| Consultation with a psychiatrist | 2 | 4.4 |
| Consultation with a sexologist | 1 | 2.2 |
| Pelvic floor physical therapy | 3 | 6.7 |
| Use of vaginal moisturizer | 22 | 48.9 |
| Use of vaginal laser therapy | 0 | 0.0 |
| Use of at least one the methods mentioned above | 27 | 60.0 |
| N = 27 | % | |
| 10. If you have been using any method from the previous question, have you decided it on your own? | ||
| Yes (own initiative) | 17 | 63.0 |
| Yes (own initiative) and advice (from my: oncologist (n = 1), my gynecologist (n = 1)) | 2 | 7.4 |
| No: advice2 | 8 | 29.6 |
| 2 from: oncologist (n = 1), general practitioner (n = 2), gynecologist (n = 5) | ||
| Patients’ suggestions for sexual care | N = 45 | % |
| In your opinion, which method would be useful and/or appropriate to address the sexual problems (several answers possible)? | ||
| Consultation with a caregiver trained in sexology | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 2 | 4.4 |
| No opinion | 2 | 4.4 |
| Agree/fully agree | 41 | 91.2 |
| Consultation with a psychiatrist | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 11 | 24.4 |
| No opinion | 16 | 35.6 |
| Agree/fully agree | 18 | 40.0 |
| Consultation with a sexologist | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 6 | 13.3 |
| No opinion | 9 | 20.0 |
| Agree/fully agree | 30 | 66.7 |
| Couple consultation | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 6 | 13.3 |
| No opinion | 7 | 15.6 |
| Agree/fully agree | 32 | 71.1 |
| Group consultation | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 26 | 57.8 |
| No opinion | 8 | 17.8 |
| Agree/fully agree | 11 | 24.4 |
| On-line therapy using on-line questionnaires and consultations | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 14 | 31.1 |
| No opinion | 10 | 22.2 |
| Agree/fully agree | 21 | 46.7 |
| Pelvic floor physical therapy | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 2 | 4.4 |
| No opinion | 10 | 22.2 |
| Agree/fully agree | 33 | 73.4 |
| Vaginal moisturizer | ||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 1 | 2.2 |
| No opinion | 9 | 20.0 |
| Agree/fully agree | 35 | 77.8 |
N, number of women who answered the question