Sexual marital functioning and self-image of women after treatment of uterus cancer. Patients’ and their safe husbands’ perspectives

Abstract

Introduction. To assess the impact of hysterectomy on the psychosexual marital functioning of women is the aim of the study. The levels of self-esteem, self-image, own sexual sensations and quality of marital sex of patients are compared wit their husbands opinions about those variables.
Material and methods. Fifty marital couples of women after hysterectomy were examined. Following methods were used: Questionnaire of Marital Sexual Problems (including one scale for own sexual sensations and scale for quality of marital sex) and Questionnaire of Self-Esteem. The women finished their cancer treatment 6 months before the psychological consultation and research. None couple benefits the psychotherapy and sexual therapy.
Results. The hysterectomy reduces the level of women’s libido, their sexual sensations and quality of marital sex. But their husbands do not shave this opinion. The difference of assessment of both groups is statistically significant. The self-esteem of women after hysterectomy is lowered, particularly the level of their physical attraction and social position. They have a high opinion of their interpersonal and intellectual own properties. The husbands do not see any change in wives’ physical, intellectual or interpersonal attraction. But they emphasize the lowering of wives’ mood and their social position. The difference of wives’ and husbands’ self-image is statistically significant.
Conclusions. The divergence of wives’ and husbands’ judgments of the quality of marital sexual functioning, self-esteem and self-image indicates the deficiency of overt and functional communication between patients and their partners. The spouses do not know profoundly their feelings, thoughts, behaviours created by hysterectomy