title: Exploring the role of the partner in couples' sexual recovery after surgery for prostate cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prostate cancer survivors' post-surgery sexual problems are well documented and long lasting. Partners' distress in this context leads to psychological morbidity which is poorly understood. Given the prevalence of prostate cancer diagnoses in older men, partners' distress represents a public health concern. This study elucidates an important aspect of partners' distress which has hitherto been undocumented. It can lead to further research and health-care provisions that will support couples in prostate cancer survivorship towards improved mental health and health outcomes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Partner sexual function has been viewed as a factor in men's erectile function recovery after prostatectomy for prostate cancer. However, patients' and partners' perceptions on the role of the partner in couples' sexual recovery has not been studied. We wanted to understand those perceptions and to see whether their perceptions were congruent.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men and partners were recruited from a previous study and interviewed separately about the role of the partner. Interview transcripts were analyzed using grounded theory with the help of NVivo software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten men and nine partners participated; most were more than 1 year past surgery. Men were 62, and partners were 58 years old on average. Nine men had erectile dysfunction. Six female partners were post-menopausal, and a participating male partner had post-prostatectomy erectile dysfunction. Men and partners agreed that partners provide emotional and logistical support. Both perceived the partner's own sexual interest, not function, as critical to the couple's sexual recovery. Some men felt pressured by partners' initiative, feeling insecure about sexual performance. Men were unaware of partners' sexual needs or needs for support. Partners expressed those needs but were unsure of what kind of support they needed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Partners' sexual and support needs during couples' sexual recovery after prostatectomy should be acknowledged and addressed as a legitimate aspect of research and care for men recovering from prostatectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Michigan, North Campus Research Complex Building 16, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2800, USA, dwittman@med.umich.edu.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wittmann
authors.forename: Marsha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carolan
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Given
authors.forename: Ted A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Skolarus
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Ganesh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palapattu
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Montie
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology
references.citation: J Clin Oncol. 2012 Apr 10;30(11):1227-34
references.pmid: 22412124
references.citation: Support Care Cancer. 2013 Nov;21(11):2967-76
references.pmid: 23756617
references.citation: J Sex Med. 2007 Sep;4(5):1394-403
references.pmid: 17634055
references.citation: Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2011 Oct;15(5):451-2
references.pmid: 21951730
references.citation: J Sex Marital Ther. 2015;41(2):155-68
references.pmid: 24405053
references.citation: Cancer. 2002 Oct 15;95(8):1773-85
references.pmid: 12365027
references.citation: Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2006 Aug;10(4):503-8
references.pmid: 16927903
references.citation: Soc Sci Med. 1971 Apr;5(2):101-15
references.pmid: 5088720
references.citation: J Sex Marital Ther. 2011;37(2):130-44
references.pmid: 21400337
references.citation: CA Cancer J Clin. 2010 Sep-Oct;60(5):277-300
references.pmid: 20610543
references.citation: Psychooncology. 2006 Nov;15(11):937-53
references.pmid: 16521081
references.citation: Qual Health Res. 2003 Dec;13(10):1378-92
references.pmid: 14658352
references.citation: Cancer. 2005 Dec 15;104(12):2689-700
references.pmid: 16294343
references.citation: BJU Int. 2000 Nov;86(7):834-9
references.pmid: 11069410
references.citation: J Urol. 2004 Nov;172(5 Pt 1):1814-7
references.pmid: 15540727
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 2008 Mar 20;358(12):1250-61
references.pmid: 18354103
references.citation: J Midwifery Womens Health. 2011 Mar-Apr;56(2):154-60
references.pmid: 21429081
references.citation: BJU Int. 2005 Dec;96(9):1360-4
references.pmid: 16287458
references.citation: Urol Nurs. 2013 May-Jun;33(3):140-7
references.pmid: 23930447
references.citation: J Sex Med. 2005 Nov;2(6):833-41; discussion 841
references.pmid: 16422807
references.citation: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2012 Aug;37(8):1181-90
references.pmid: 22222119
references.citation: Support Care Cancer. 2010 Jul;18(7):785-800
references.pmid: 20165890
references.citation: J Sex Med. 2010 Nov;7(11):3659-65
references.pmid: 20819141
references.citation: Cancer. 2012 Jan 15;118(2):500-9
references.pmid: 21953578
references.citation: BMC Fam Pract. 2010 Mar 08;11:19
references.pmid: 20211019
references.citation: Urol Nurs. 2011 Sep-Oct;31(5):294-9
references.pmid: 22073900
references.citation: J Sex Med. 2013 Dec;10(12):3135-43
references.pmid: 24118980
references.citation: Cancer. 2008 Jun 1;112(11 Suppl):2541-55
references.pmid: 18428202