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Abstract
Little is known about the sexual well-being of male Veteran cancer survivors, or the relationship of sexual concerns to psychosocial adaptation postcancer. This study examined the association between sexual self-esteem and psychosocial concerns in male Veteran cancer survivors. Forty-one male survivors were recruited from a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital to participate in a pilot study addressing cancer survivorship care for Veterans. Sixty- to 90-minute interviews were conducted, assessing sociodemographic, medical, stress/burden (cancer-related posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression), and resource (social support, post-traumatic growth) variables. Twenty-one (51.2%) Veteran cancer survivors reported lowered sexual self-esteem as a result of cancer, which corresponded to significantly higher levels of depression and cancer-related PTSD. The lowered sexual self-esteem group also indicated significantly lower social support. Veteran cancer survivors with lowered sexual self-esteem tend to have higher levels of stress and lower levels of resources, putting them at risk for lowered quality of life. This increased risk highlights the importance of addressing sexual well-being in the survivorship care of Veterans.
Acknowledgments
This is the result of work supported with resources and the use of facilities at the Boston VA Medical Center and the Boston VA Research Institute (BVARI) and was supported by grants to Jennifer Moye from the BVARI and the Harvard Medical School Milton Fund. We thank Elizabeth Archambault, Rebecca Billings, Michelle Hilgeman, Michele Karel, David Latini, Aanand Naik, and Kelly Trevino. We are indebted to the Veterans who have allowed us to participate in their health care, and who have contributed to our research studies.