title: Sexuality after burn in Brazil: survey of burn health-care workers.
abstract: Patients who survive a major burn must live with emotional and physical sequela. In a literature review, we found that sexuality concerns of burn victims are rarely a focus of therapy. After suggestions from Rimmer et al. [12], using their questionnaire translated into Portuguese, we held a survey of burn-care professionals at the VII Brazilian Burn Congress. More than 120 practitioners from 41 centres, aged in average 41.2 years (1 standard deviation 10.96), completed the survey. A proportion of 63.7% were female, and 58.1% were Caucasians; 37.1% were physicians, 20.9% nurse practitioners and 16.9 were occupational therapists/physical therapists (OTs/PT)s. Psychologists made up 3.2%. Only 28% of the respondents felt comfortable in initiating a conversation about sexual intimacy with their patients. The vast majority believed it should be done by the psychologist. Only 38% felt their burn centre did an adequate job in that area. When compared with a study of our country's general population, we find similar results indicating that intimacy, sexuality and sexual intercourse are considered most important in a relationship. There is a significant lack of literature in sexuality after burn; most likely meaning it is ignored by most centres. There is a need for other similar surveys to be performed, as well as a collective consciousness of the need for discussions about sexuality with patients and their partners, providing counselling and treatment, when need.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of São Paulo-UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Monica Sarto
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Piccolo
authors.forename: Ricardo Piccolo
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Daher
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gragnani
authors.forename: Lydia Masako
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001938:Brazil; D002056:Burns / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D019529:Sexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires