title: Sexual health communication between cancer survivors and providers: how frequently does it occur and which providers are preferred?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sexual health concerns in cancer survivors are often unaddressed by providers. Study objectives were to assess cancer survivors' reported rates of communication with oncology providers about sexual health, preference for such communication with their oncology or primary care providers (PCPs), and factors associated with these communication rates and preferences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-six patients attending a cancer survivorship clinic were asked how often their oncologist addressed and initiated discussion about sexual functioning and whether they wanted their oncologist or PCP to ask about their sexual health. We also assessed whether various sociodemographic characteristics and levels of depression, anxiety, and sexual satisfaction were associated with survivors' sexual health communication rates and preferences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  41% of patients wanted their oncologist to ask about sexual health and 58% of patients wanted their PCP to ask about sexual health. Over 90% of patients reported that their oncologist infrequently addressed sexual health concerns and that their oncologist was unlikely to initiate such discussions. Education level influenced whether patients wanted their oncologist to ask about sexual health. Age, education level, and insurance type influenced whether patients wanted their PCP to ask about sexual health. Levels of depression, anxiety, and sexual satisfaction were not associated with communication rates or preferences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients attending a survivorship clinic reported infrequent communication about sexual health with their oncology providers, despite wanting their providers to ask about sexual health concerns.
authors.affiliation: University of Kansas, Department of Psychology, Lawrence, KS, USA.
authors.forename: Nora J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Sporn
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Kelly B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.|Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: William F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Pirl
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Inga T
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Lennes
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA.|Mongan Institute for Health Policy, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Kelly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Hyland
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.|Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA.|Mongan Institute for Health Policy, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Elyse R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D060728:Reproductive Health; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: cancer; oncology; patient-provider communication; sexual health; survivorship care; survivorship clinic