A Narrative Review of the Roles of Nursing in Addressing Sexual Dysfunction in Oncology Patients.

Simple Summary: Sexual challenges are common yet often unaddressed issues for patients undergoing cancer treatment, significantly impacting their overall well-being and relationships. This review aimed to demonstrate how nurses can help with these sensitive concerns, what difficulties they face, and...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Current Oncology Vol. 32; no. 8; pp. 457 - 476
Autores principales: Alqaisi, Omar, Al-Ghabeesh, Suhair, Tai, Patricia, Wong, Kelvin, Joseph, Kurian, Yu, Edward
Formato: Journal Article
Publicado: MDPI Aug2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:Simple Summary: Sexual challenges are common yet often unaddressed issues for patients undergoing cancer treatment, significantly impacting their overall well-being and relationships. This review aimed to demonstrate how nurses can help with these sensitive concerns, what difficulties they face, and what solutions can improve care. We found that while nurses are crucial in providing support, they often lack specific training, face cultural discomfort, and are limited by hospital policies. Our findings suggest that better education for nurses, clear guidelines, and teamwork among healthcare providers are essential. By making sexual health a regular part of cancer care, we can significantly enhance the quality of life for cancer survivors and ensure a more complete approach to their recovery. This work provides valuable guidance for various healthcare professionals to support cancer patients. Sexual dysfunction affects an estimated 50–70% of cancer survivors but remains underrecognized and undertreated, impacting quality of life and emotional well-being. This narrative review involves a comprehensive search of PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect for English-language publications (January 2010–May 2025), using combined MeSH and free-text terms for 'sexual health', 'cancer', 'nursing', 'roles of nurses', 'immunotherapy', 'targeted therapy', 'sexual health', 'sexual dysfunction', 'vaginal dryness', 'genitourinary syndrome of menopause', 'sexual desire', 'body image', 'erectile dysfunction', 'climacturia', 'ejaculatory disorders', 'dyspareunia', and 'oncology'. We used the IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) approach to identify 1245 records and screen titles and abstracts. Fifty studies ultimately met the inclusion criteria (original research, reviews, and clinical guidelines on oncology nursing and sexual health). Results: All the treatments contributed to reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, dyspareunia, and body image concerns, with a prevalence of 57.5% across genders. Oncology nurses can provide sex education and counseling. Barriers (limited training, cultural stigma, and the absence of protocols) hinder effective intervention. Addressing these issues through sexual health curricula, formal referral systems, and policy reforms can enhance nursing care. Future research should assess the impact of targeted nurse education and the institutional integration of sexual health into cancer care.