The impact of stroke on female sexuality

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of stroke on female sexuality from the perspective of women who have had a stroke.

Method: A descriptive qualitative study. Nine female stroke survivors living in metropolitan and surrounding districts of Sydney, Australia took part in semi-structured conversational interviews. The mean length of time from stroke onset to interview was around 6 years and 2 months (range 1 year, 2 months to 15 years, 9 months). The interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed. The transcripts were systematically analysed using inductive thematic analysis.

Results: The women experienced many and varied bodily alterations as a consequence of stroke which impacted negatively on their sexuality. These bodily alterations impacted on female sexuality in two ways: one was as an assault on the female sense of self and the other was by limiting possibilities for enacting female sexuality.

Conclusion: Stroke impacts on female sexuality through bodily alterations and their consequences and because sexuality is important to female stroke survivors, it should be addressed as part of person-centred rehabilitation.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Sexuality is about much more than just “having sex” and is important to female stroke survivors.

• Stroke impacts on female sexuality through bodily alterations and their consequences.

• Understanding the impact of stroke on female sexuality is a step towards more person-centred rehabilitation.

Keywords:

• Sexual dysfunction
• female sexuality
• stroke
• self-concept
• biographical adjustment
• Australia

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interests to declare.

Funding

This project was partly funded by a Royal Rehab Research Grant.