Clinician and Patient Communication on Body Image, Sexuality, and Sexual Function in Gynecologic Cancer: An Integrative Review

Body image, sexuality, and sexual function commonly affect women with gynecologic cancer. While these issues are common and cause distress, patients report little communication regarding these topics with clinicians. The purpose of this review was to present the literature surrounding these topics, describe and appraise the quality of the literature, identify significant gaps in the literature, and provide implications for practice and/or future research. A systematic search of the literature was conducted using three databases. Keywords and MESH headings were used to obtain appropriate articles. Data was evaluated using PRISMA guidelines. Nine articles were retrieved. Most (5) focused on patients' perspectives of communication, while 3 focused on clinician perspectives. Only one included the perspectives of both. Further research is needed to better understand the issues surrounding patient-clinician communication on these topics. Clinicians need to routinely assess patients for issues related to body image and sexual health, feel comfortable discussing these topics, and be prepared to provide information or resources for patients.