title: [Reproductive and sexual history of women treated of breast cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To understand the reproductive and sexual life of women treated for breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 139 women with a diagnosis made at least 6 months ago were interviewed after being randomly selected in a rehabilitation service. The interviews were carried out between 2006 and 2010. The inclusion criteria were: to have used a rehabilitation service between 2006 and 2010, to be a Unified Health System user, to have been a patient at a regional hospital and to be resident in the area of DRS XIII-Ribeirão Preto, state of São Paulo. The interviewees were visited at home where a face to face questionnaire regarding sociodemographic features and questions about the disease and reproductive and sexual life was administered. For the last one, the Female Sexual Function Index instrument was used. Data were analyzed statistically by the χ² test, Fisher exact test, Student's t test, multivariate analysis by logistic regression, factorial analysis and the Cronbach's alpha.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most patients had between 2 to 3 children and 80% used some contraceptive. About half of them had had sexual intercourse in the last month, 45.3% had interrupted sexual intercourse during treatment and 25.9% did not. There were reports of decreasing sexual activity, although half of the interviewees had re-started sexual life during the first six months after treatment. About half presented sexual dissatisfaction. An active sexual life is associated with being younger than 40 years of age and to have a partner. No association was found between active sexual life and diagnosis and types of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sexual activity of women treated for breast cancer is not associated with the treatments, but with age and with the opportunity of having sex.
authors: Departamento de Medicina Social, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil.
authors: Elisabeth Meloni
authors: EM
authors: Vieira
authors: Gerson Hiroshi
authors: GH
authors: Yoshinari Júnior
authors: Hayala Cristina Cavenague
authors: HC
authors: de Souza
authors: Marina Pasquali Marconato
authors: MP
authors: Mancini
authors: Gleici da Silva Castro
authors: Gda S
authors: Perdoná
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017584:Reproductive History; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D055815:Young Adult