Objective:

The research was carried out methodologically and descriptively in order to defi ne the situation of sexual dysfunction in women with breast cancer.

MATERIALS and METHODS:

The scope of the research covered 190 women who had undergone treatment after being diagnosed as breast cancer and whose controls are continuing in an university hospital. Data were collected by a form aiming to defi ne individual characteristics of the women with breast cancer and by the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Descriptive statistics, validity-reliability and parametric analyses, and analysis addressing to relationships were used in the evaluation of the data.

RESULTS:

According to the results of the measurements taken by FSFI, more than half of the women, included in the study scope and who did not have any sexual dysfunction previously, were defi ned to have sexual dysfunction. Older ages, lower education, being unemployed, residing in rural areas, and being in menopause were the factors that were found to signifi cantly aff ect sexual dysfunction prevalence (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION:

In light of the data obtained from the research that sexual dysfunction has a high prevalence in women with breast cancer. Given these results, we believe that women with breast cancer should be assessed routinely as for any sexual dysfunctions, and that both the women and husbands/partners should be given information and counseling on cancer and its treatment, as well as on how to maintain their sexual lives.

Keywords: breast neoplasms, sexuality, women, sexual dysfunction, antineoplastic protocols