Sexuality of Women With Pelvic Cancer

The representations associated with sexuality and cancer seem antinomic: wellbeing / death, and yet combine in the experience of cancer. The latter has an impact on sexuality in terms of satisfaction or sexual activity and on the relationship in terms of support.

In addition, various studies show the psychological impact of treatments on the couple's relationship or the body image of women with cancer. Their abilities to seduce are affected and explain the decrease of their sexual activity during the treatments: a communication, valuing the femininity, would it then facilitate the relations of couple? There is no work that considers sexuality in a systematic way (sexual act and verbal and non-verbal communication) and apprehends its link with the evolution of the relationship, from the diagnosis of cancer to the end of treatments.

This study aims to study in patients with cancer of the cervix or the body of the uterus, or the ovary between the time of diagnosis and 3 months after the end of the last treatment: the evolution of the relationship of couple, and more particularly of communication (verbal and non-verbal) concerning sexuality, before and during cancer.

Inclusion criteria

• Age ≥ 18 years
• Life in a couple or single with a regular partner for at least 3 months
• Cancer of the cervix or uterine body or ovarian cancer, in first diagnosis and treatment
• Whatever the stage of cancer
• Curative treatment
• Support in one of the participating centers
• Possible follow-up of all stages of the research

Exclusion criteria

• Presence of metastases
• History of other cancer
• History of severe psychiatric illness