Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2009 Nov;24 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S407-11.
doi: 10.1007/s11606-009-1026-5.

General internist communication about sexual function with cancer survivors

Elyse R Park  1 , Sharon L Bober, Eric G Campbell, Christopher J Recklitis, Jean S Kutner, Lisa Diller
Affiliations
Comparative Study

General internist communication about sexual function with cancer survivors

Elyse R Park et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2009 Nov.

Abstract

Background: Sexual dysfunction is an important issue that affects many cancer survivors who are increasingly being cared for by internists.

Objective: To examine the attitudes and reported practices of internists regarding survivorship care as it pertains to sexual dysfunction.

Design: Surveys were sent to 406 physicians affiliated with the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. Of the 319 eligibles, 227 were returned (71% RR).

Main results: Of the 227 responders, 46% were "somewhat/very" likely to initiate a conversation about sexual dysfunction; 62% "never/rarely" addressed sexual dysfunction. Each additional weekly hour spent in patient care was associated with a 2% increase in the likelihood of sexual dysfunction being addressed or discussions about sexual dysfunction being initiated. Reported inadequate preparation/formal training around survivorship issues was associated with sexual dysfunction being addressed less often (odds ratio [OR] = 0.45). Perception of patient anxiety or fears about health was associated with sexual dysfunction being addressed more often (OR = 2.38). Perceived preparedness to evaluate long-term effects was associated with a greater likelihood of physicians initiating discussions about sexual functioning (OR = 2.49).

Conclusions: Cancer survivors receive their long-term care from internists. Our results suggest that sexual dysfunction is often not addressed during their follow-up care. Additional training is needed to prepare physicians to negotiate this difficult issue.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Ries LAG, Melbert D, Krapcho M, et al (eds). SEER cancer statistics review, 1975–2005, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD: http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2005/, based on November 2007 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER web site, 2008. Accessed May 8, 2009.
    1. Hewitt M, Greenfield S, Stovall E, eds. From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press; 2006.
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'DOI', 'value': '10.1053/j.seminoncol.2003.08.025', 'is_inner': False, 'url': 'https://doi.org/10.1053/j.seminoncol.2003.08.025'}, {'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '14663780', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14663780/'}]}
    2. Kornblith AB, Ligibel J. Psychosocial and sexual functioning of survivors of breast cancer. Semin Oncol. 2003;30(6):799–813. - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'DOI', 'value': '10.1097/00005392-200102000-00019', 'is_inner': False, 'url': 'https://doi.org/10.1097/00005392-200102000-00019'}, {'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '11176390', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11176390/'}]}
    2. Siegel T, Moul JW, Spevak M, Alvord WG, Costabile RA. The development of erectile dysfunction in men treated for prostate cancer. J Urol. 2001;165(2):430–5. - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'DOI', 'value': '10.1002/1097-0142(19921015)70:8<2214::AID-CNCR2820700833>3.0.CO;2-X', 'is_inner': False, 'url': 'https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0142(19921015)70:8<2214::aid-cncr2820700833>3.0.co;2-x'}, {'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '1394054', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1394054/'}]}
    2. Kornblith AB, Anderson J, Cella DF, et al. Hodgkin disease survivors at increased risk for problems in psychosocial adaptation. Cancer. 1992;70(8):2214–24. - PubMed

Publication types