Abstract

Purpose: Nowadays, cancer is one of the most important health problems in the world. The goal of therapeutic and diagnostic methods in recent decades has been not only to relieve symptoms and keep patients alive but also to maintain good quality of life for them. Therefore, this study was designed with a qualitative approach aimed at explaining the sexual and reproductive concerns of women with breast cancer.

Patients and methods: Twenty-three women surviving breast cancer who referred to Omid Hospital in Urmia participated in this qualitative research that was conducted in 2019 based on targeted sampling method and the theoretical saturation criterion. To use the data, which were analyzed by conventional content analysis method, a semi-structured in-depth interview method was employed.

Results: Six important and effective themes were extracted in the field of reproductive and sexual concern of women with breast cancer as follows: "Life under the dreaded shadow of death"; "Anxiety of abandonment"; "Mental image of a distorted body"; "Exhaustion in dealing with fertility events; "Attack of cancer on sexual life”.

Conclusion: Breast cancer inflicts serious damage to reproductive and sexual health. Lack of attention to psychosocial consequences and ignorance of patients’ rehabilitation after surgery doubles the need for educational interventions and counseling on fertility and sexual concerns of couples surviving the breast cancer.

Keywords: Breast Cancer, Qualitative Study, Reproductive Health, Sexual Health, Concerns.