Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28823314›Full record

ArticleSexual medicine2017

Sexual Health, Mental Health, and Beliefs About Cancer Treatments Among Women Attending a Gynecologic Oncology Clinic.

Lisa Eaton, Angela Kueck, Jessica Maksut, Lori Gordon, Karen Metersky, Ashley Miga, Molly Brewer, Elizabeth Siembida, Alison Bradley

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sexual medicine, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 37% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The effects of staged sexual health education on sexual and mental health in breast cancer patients: a randomized controlled study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Trial
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Screening for sexual health concerns in survivors of gynecological cancer.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2020
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Lisa EatonCenter for Health Intervention and Prevention, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA. Electronic address: lisaanne.eaton@gmail.com.
Angela KueckNEAG Cancer Center Unit, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA.
Jessica MaksutCenter for Health Intervention and Prevention, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
Lori GordonNEAG Cancer Center Unit, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA.
Karen MeterskyNEAG Cancer Center Unit, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA.
Ashley MigaNEAG Cancer Center Unit, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA.
Molly BrewerNEAG Cancer Center Unit, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA.
Elizabeth SiembidaCenter for Health Intervention and Prevention, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
Alison BradleyCenter for Health Intervention and Prevention, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
UConn Health · USUniversity of Connecticut · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionSexual health is an important, yet overlooked, aspect of quality of life for gynecologic oncologic patients. Although patients with gynecologic cancer frequently report sexual health concerns, there are limited efforts to address these problems. A comprehensive understanding of the relationship between mental health and sexual health needs to be prioritized.

aimTo examine multiple components of sexual health in patients with gynecologic cancer.

methodsFor the present study, sexual health concerns (ie, sexual frequency, desire, response, and satisfaction; orgasm; and pain during sex; independent variables), beliefs about cancer treatments affecting sexual health (dependent variable), and mental health (ie, anxiety and depressive symptoms; dependent variables) of patients at a US gynecologic oncology clinic were assessed.

main outcome measuresDemographics; cancer diagnosis; positive screening results for cancer; sexual health histories including sexual frequency, desire, pain, orgasm, responsiveness, and satisfaction; and mental health including depression and anxiety symptoms.

resultsMost women reported experiencing at least one sexual health concern, and half the women screened positive for experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Forty-nine percent of participants reported having no or very little sexual desire or interest in the past 6 months. Further, in mediation analyses, pain during sex was significantly and positively correlated with depressive symptoms (r = 0.42, P < .001), and this relationship was fully mediated by believing that cancer treatments affected one's sexual health (B = 0.16, 95% confidence interval = 0.01-0.48, P < .05).

conclusionFindings emphasize the need to further address and incorporate sexual and mental health into standard care for patients attending gynecologic oncology clinics. Screening women for whether and to what extent they perceive cancer treatments affecting their sexual health could provide a brief, easily administrable, screener for sexual health concerns and the need for further intervention. Intervention development for patients with gynecologic cancer must include mental health components and addressing perceptions of how cancer treatments affect sexual health functioning. Eaton L, Kueck A, Maksut J, et al. Sexual Health, Mental Health, and Beliefs About Cancer Treatments Among Women Attending a Gynecologic Oncology Clinic. Sex Med 2017;5:e175-e183.

Indexed as

Cancer TreatmentGynecologic OncologyMental HealthSexual Health

Identifiers

PMID28823314
PMCPMC5562497
OpenAlexW2748118451

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.