The Experienc of Gay and Bisexual Men Post-Prostate Cancer Treatment: A Meta-Synthis of Qualative Studi - PMC

Contents:

• THE SEXUAL FUNCTNG OF GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN FOLLOWG PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENT: RULTS OM THE RTORE STUDY
• GAY MEN'S EXPERIENC OF SEXUAL CHANG AFTER PROSTATE NCER TREATMENT-A QUALATIVE STUDY SWEN
• THE EXPERIENC OF GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN POST-PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENT: A META-SYNTHIS OF QUALATIVE STUDI
• THE PROSTATE MATTERS A GAY MAN'S SEX LIFE

THE SEXUAL FUNCTNG OF GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN FOLLOWG PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENT: RULTS OM THE RTORE STUDY

Conclns: Gay prostate ncer survivors' narrativ about sexual chang circle around siar bodily chang as heterosexual men's, such as erectile problems and weaker asms. The procre went well, but Dowsett had qutns — he wanted to know how would affect his sex life as a gay man, and how to negotiate the physil, sexual and emotnal chang that would rult om his treatment. But for gay and bisexual men, who are more likely than heterosexual men to be sgle when diagnosed wh prostate ncer1, and might engage different sexual practic, ltle of that applied.

Physicians might not realize that the needs and ncerns of gay and bisexual men are different om those of heterosexual men, says Channa Amarasekera, a urologist and director of the Gay and Bisexual Men’s Urology Program at Northwtern Medice Chigo, Illois.

However, evince of the problems facg gay and bisexual men will not by self enable clicians to advise their patients properly: empowerg physicians wh evince-backed guidance, and improvg munitn, will also be ccial. But is only the past that rearch to prostate ncer specifilly gay and bisexual men has gaed tert, says Simon Rosser, a behavural psychologist at the Universy of Mnota Mneapolis.

GAY MEN'S EXPERIENC OF SEXUAL CHANG AFTER PROSTATE NCER TREATMENT-A QUALATIVE STUDY SWEN

One study, for example, showed that gay and bisexual men have worse urary, bowel and hormonal functn than heterosexual men after treatment for prostate ncer, but better erectile functn2. Siarly, a study led by Jane Ussher, a clil psychologist at Wtern Sydney Universy Atralia, found that gay and bisexual men are more likely than heterosexual men to be able to get and sta an erectn after prostate-ncer treatment3. “One of the reasons for that is that they are more likely to do somethg about — like to go and get unsellg, try penile jectns and suctn vic, or e Viagra, ” she many s, the impact of sexual dysfunctn arisg om prostate-ncer treatment is magnified gay and bisexual men.

“Due to differenc sexual practic, they may have addnal ncerns, and some sexual si effects will be more bothersome or challengg to manage, ” says Sean Ralph, a nsultant theraptic radgrapher at Leeds Cancer Centre, UK, and -founr of Out wh Prostate Cancer, the Uned Kgdom’s first prostate-ncer support group for gay and bisexual men and transgenr example, an erectn mt be 33% firmer for anal terurse than for vagal terurse4. This mak any loss of erectn hardns more of a problem for men who engage sertive anal terurse — not purely the prerve of gay and bisexual men, but nohels a part of many such relatnships. Communitn blockageA 2016 study led by Ussher found that gay and bisexual men wh prostate ncer report signifintly lower qualy of life and satisfactn wh treatment than do heterosexual men1.

THE EXPERIENC OF GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN POST-PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENT: A META-SYNTHIS OF QUALATIVE STUDI

For example, Dickste suggts that sertg a hydrogel spacer between the prostate and rectum, which rc the amount of radiatn the rectal wall is exposed to, might improve a person’s abily to engage receptive anal are also risks that particularly affect gay and bisexual men that uld be avoid if physicians are ma aware. “A lot of physicians fet to check trans women’s prostate, ” says Channa Amarasekera, a urologist and director of the Gay and Bisexual Men’s Urology Program at Northwtern Medice Chigo, Illois. Amarasekera has found that many urologists have received ls than five hours of stctn on how to treat people om sexual and genr mori7, and most felt that they need is, for example, a lack of guidance on how to discs the var sexual rol that a gay or bisexual person n take on anal terurse, and the implitns for treatment.

Culture of tstAnother obstacle to tailorg treatment to gay and bisexual men is that some people might not be forthg about their sexual orientatn bee of mistst or past trma. For example, one gay man his support group had surgery whout disclosg his sexual orientatn bee he was worried that his operatn would be performed a rels manner if the clicians knew he was gay.

THE PROSTATE MATTERS A GAY MAN'S SEX LIFE

“There was a signifint number of patients who intified as gay or bisexual who felt like there wasn’t a space where they uld be open about what their issu were when me to prostate-ncer treatment, ” he says. The Amerin Society of Clil Onlogy and the US Natnal Comprehensive Cancer Network note that discsns on sexual activy and sexualy are important for ncer treatment, although they still do not addrs specifics of how to tailor screeng or treatment to gay and bisexual men. AbstractStudi suggt that gay and bisexual men are affected by the psychologil aspects of prostate ncer treatment differently than that of heterosexual men; however the data have not yet been synthized.