ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Because of sociocultural factors, Chinese female partners of patients with prostate cancer (PC) may have perspectives and needs that differ from the more published reports of female partners living in Western cultures. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of female partners of patients with PC experiencing erectile dysfunction in China. INTERVENTIONS/METHODS: In this interpretive descriptive design, qualitative data were collected from semistructured telephone interviews with purposively sampled participants from the urology outpatient unit in a hospital in South China. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using a constant comparison approach. RESULTS: Three themes emerged from the analysis of the participants' narratives: (a) acceptance of ceasing sex; (b) preserving intimacy through caregiving; and (c) the need for sexual health-related information. CONCLUSION: Participants in this study reported that their own sexuality and intimacy were affected by their partner's erectile dysfunction, but they adjusted to sexuality and intimacy changes through their caregiving of their husbands owing to Chinese traditional perspectives on women's obligations. They also reported having unmet informational needs in improving sexual well-being for the sake of their partners, lending further support to the likely benefit of couple-based educational interventions addressing sexual wellness in dyads affected by PC and erectile dysfunction. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The present study findings highlighted the need for more research attention to the support of Chinese female partners of patients with PC regarding sexual and intimate topics.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: While the existing knowledge base on the impact of prostate cancer (PC) and its treatment on sexuality and intimacy has been generated from Western populations, there is a lack of such evidence in the Asian context. This study aimed to explore men's experiences of sex and intimacy after PC treatment in China. METHODS: This study adopted an interpretive descriptive design. Using purposive sampling, 13 PC patients were selected from a urology outpatient unit of a hospital in South China and proceeded with individual semi-structured telephone interviews. Each interview was transcribed verbatim and analyzed using constant comparison analysis. RESULTS: Four themes emerged from the interview data, including (a) encountering altered sexuality, (b) communication and sexual adjustments, (c) maintenance of quality intimate relationship, and (d) lack of sexual health support. CONCLUSIONS: The findings revealed that PC treatment significantly impaired patients' sexual functions, and their sexual health needs were mainly unmet by healthcare providers. There is a great need to design culturally relevant interventions to improve sexual health among this population.
