Experiences of sexual well-being interventions in males affected by genitourinary cancers and their partners: an integrative systematic review.

Schubach, Kathryn; Niyonsenga, Theo; Turner, Murray; Paterson, Catherine

Abstract

Sexual well-being has been identified as an unmet supportive care need among many individuals with genitourinary (GU) cancers. Little is known about the experiences of using sexual well-being interventions among men and their partners. This review was reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and followed a systematic review protocol. Data extraction and methodological quality appraisal were performed, and a narrative synthesis was conducted. A total of 21 publications (reporting on 18 studies) were included: six randomised control trials, seven cross-sectional studies, three qualitative studies, and five mixed methods studies. Sexual well-being interventions comprised medical/pharmacological and psychological support, including counselling and group discussion facilitation. The interventions were delivered using various modes: face-to-face, web-based/online, or telephone. Several themes emerged and included broadly: (1) communication with patient/partner and healthcare professionals, (2) educational and informational needs, and (3) timing and/or delivery of the interventions. Sexual well-being concerns for men and their partners were evident from diagnosis and into survivorship. Participants benefited from interventions but many articulated difficulties with initiating the topic due to embarrassment and limited access to interventions in cancer services. Noteworthy, all studies were only representative of men diagnosed with prostate cancer, underscoring a significant gap in other GU cancer patient groups where sexual dysfunction is a prominent consequence of treatment. This systematic review provides valuable new insights to inform future models of sexual well-being recovery interventions for patients and partners with prostate cancer, but further research is urgently needed in other GU cancer populations.

Citation

SCHUBACH, K., NIYONSENGA, T., TURNER, M. and PATERSON, C. 2023. Experiences of sexual well-being interventions in males affected by genitourinary cancers and their partners: an integrative systematic review. Supportive care in cancer [online], 31(5), article 265. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-023-07712-8

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Acceptance Date: Mar 28, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Apr 14, 2023
• Publication Date: May 31, 2023
• Deposit Date: Apr 27, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 27, 2023
• Journal: Supportive care in cancer
• Print ISSN: 0941-4355
• Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 5
• Article Number: 265
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-023-07712-8
• Keywords: Sexual well-being; Genitourinary cancers; Intervention; Lived experience; Systematic review
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1940755
• Additional Information: This article has been published with separate supporting information. This supporting information has been incorporated into a single file on this repository and can be found at the end of the file associated with this output.