The body image and sexual experiences in female patients receiving chemotherapy after mastectomy

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the body image and sexual life of patients who treated with chemotherapy after mastectomy. The research was carried out between 5th September and 30th December 2014 at Ordu State Hospital in the chemotherapy unit as a cross-sectional and descriptive study. The data was collected with questionnaire including descriptive feature and The Medical Outcomes Body Image scale and Sexual Experiences scale. Statistical analyses were evaluated via Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software program 15.0 for data entry and analysis. 33 female patients accepted participating in the study. The mean age of the women was 48.69, and all women married. 54.5% of women were primary school graduates. The mean age of the women husbands were 51.45% and 45.5% primary and secondary school graduates. Ofwomentreated with chemotherapy were body image average 88.03, sexual experiences scale average 17.03. These two results show that, in women receiving chemotherapy due to mastectomy had found to be in moderate (88.03±23.80), and their about sexual experiences have proved to be a little reluctant (17.03±10.40).