Expert: Partners should be included in sexual recovery process in prostate cancer
“The take-home message of this research is that, given the importance of partners in the prostate cancer sexual recovery process and the impact of prostate cancer on partners' sex lives, we should seek to include partners in the sexual recovery process as part of routine survivorship care,” says Natasha Gupta, MD.
In this video, Natasha Gupta, MD, shares the take-home message from the studies “Understanding the sexual health concerns and needs of female partners of prostate cancer survivors,” and “Preferences for interventions to address unmet sexual health information and support needs among female partners of men with prostate cancer.” Gupta is a research assistant professor in urology and population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York, New York.
Transcription:
Is further research on this topic planned? If so, what will it focus on?
Based on our results, we're actually in the process of developing online sexual health educational materials for both patients and female partners, to be housed on the Prostate Cancer Foundation website. That will be publicly facing information that all patients and partners can turn to at any point in the prostate cancer journey. We're also working on developing partner-specific interventions, both within the realms of education and peer support, given that female partners also want to connect with other female partners during this process.
What is the take-home message for the practicing urologist?
The take-home message of this research is that, given the importance of partners in the prostate cancer sexual recovery process and the impact of prostate cancer on partners' sex lives, we should seek to include partners in the sexual recovery process as part of routine survivorship care.
This transcript was edited for clarity.
