Determination of the effect of sex education given to women with gynecological cancer treated with chemotherapy on quality of life and sexual life

The aim of this randomized controlled experimental study was to determine the effect of sex education given to women with gynecological cancer who underwent chemotherapy on quality of life and sexual life. The research was carried out at Çukurova University Balcalı Hospital Health Practice and Research Center, Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Gynecology Clinic. In order to determine the sample size of the groups, in line with the literature, power analysis was applied considering the sexual dysfunction in women with gynecological cancer, and 60 participants, 30 of which were experimental and 30 control, were included in the study. In the study, data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Quality of Life in Cancer Patients Scale and the Female Sexual Function Scale. The analysis of the data was carried out using the SPPS 25 program. In the research, a training booklet was prepared in line with the literature information and used during the training. The participants in the experimental group were given a total of 4 sexual education, starting with the 3rd chemotherapy course, and standard clinical care was applied to the participants in the control group. Participants in the experimental and control groups were similar in terms of socio-demographic characteristics. While the pre-training quality of life scale mean scores of the participants in the control group were significantly higher than the experimental group, after the training, the spiritual well-being level of the participants in the experimental group was found to be significantly higher than the control group. While there was no difference between the total and sub-dimension mean scores of the participants in the experimental and control groups before the training, it was observed that the averages of all variables were significantly higher in the experimental group after the training. While 86.7% (n=26) of the women in the experimental group had sexual dysfunction before the training, this rate was determined as 26.7% (n=8) after the training. After the training, the sexual functions of the participants in the experimental group improved. Keywords: Sex life, sex education, quality of life, gynecological cancers, midwifery