Document Type
Journal Article
Publisher
Elsevier
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
21256
Funders
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) - grant NCG 0512 in partnership with ANZUP (Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate Cancer Trials Group),
Abstract
Introduction:
Decrements in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and sexual difficulties are a recognized consequence of prostate cancer (PCa) treatment. However little is known about the experience of gay and bisexual (GB) men.
Aim:
HRQOL and psychosexual predictors of HRQOL were examined in GB and heterosexual men with PCa to inform targeted health information and support.
Method:
One hundred twenty-four GB and 225 heterosexual men with PCa completed a range of validated psychosexual instruments.
Main outcome measure:
Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Prostate (FACT-P) was used to measure HRQOL, with validated psychosexual measures, and demographic and treatment variables used as predictors.
Results:
GB men were significantly younger (64.25 years) than heterosexual men (71.54 years), less likely to be in an ongoing relationship, and more likely to have casual sexual partners. Compared with age-matched population norms, participants in both groups reported significantly lower sexual functioning and HRQOL, increased psychological distress, disruptions to dyadic sexual communication, and lower masculine self-esteem, sexual confidence, and sexual intimacy. In comparison with heterosexual men, GB men reported significantly lower HRQOL (P =046), masculine self-esteem (P 2Adj =804); psychological distress and sexual confidence were predictors for heterosexual men (R2 Adj =690).
Conclusion:
These findings confirm differences between GB and heterosexual men in the impact of PCa on HRQOL across a range of domains, suggesting there is a need for GB targeted PCa information and support, to address the concerns of this "hidden population" in PCa care.
DOI
10.1016/j.jsxm.2015.12.026
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Comments
Ussher, J. M., Perz, J., Kellett, A., Chambers, S., Latini, D., Davis, I. D., ... & Williams, S. (2016). Health-related quality of life, psychological distress, and sexual changes following prostate cancer: a comparison of gay and bisexual men with heterosexual men. The journal of sexual medicine, 13(3), 425-434.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2015.12.026