Sexual life, Marital Intimacy and Depression in Gynecologic Cancer Patients after operation

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this research was to present a foundation for improving the relationships between gynecological cancer patients and their spouses, as well as their quality of life, by studying the sexual life of gynecological cancer patients before and after surgery and the relationship between their marital intimacy and depression.Methods: Data were collected from April 20 to May 23, 2010, from research subjects who were diagnosed with gynecological cancer and received treatments as outpatients in the University Hospital K in Seoul. A total of 153 questionnaires were collected from qualified research subjects for the final analysis. The Sex Life Measurement Tool for Cancer Patients (2006) and the Marital Intimacy Questionnaire developed by Warring and Reddon (1993) were used to investigate marital intimacy, and Beck's (1967) Depression Inventory (BID) was used to assess depression.Results: The following hypotheses were supported: There would be a change in the sexual attitude of gynecological cancer patients and their spouse's, there would be a change in the sexual characteristics of gynecological cancer patients and their spouse's, and there would be a change in the marital intimacy of gynecological cancer patients and their spouse's.Conclusion: The sexual behavior attitude of gynecological cancer patients changed in a negative way after their operations, and their sexual behavior characteristics were also reduced with a higher degree of depression after operations.