Factor | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Item | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
1 | People with cancer are sexually unattractive | −3 | −3 | −3 |
2 | People with cancer don’t have any sexual desires | −3 | −3 | 0 |
3 | Partners of people with cancer can lose their interest in sex | +2 | 0 | +1 |
4 | People with cancer do not have the energy for sex | +1 | −1 | +2 |
5 | People with cancer should focus on recovery and survival rather than on their sexual relationship | −2 | 0 | +2 |
6 | The sexual relationship is the last thing on a couple’s mind when one of them has cancer | −1 | −1 | +2 |
7 | Cancer doesn’t remove the sense of duty that couples share in their sexual relationship | +1 | +1 | −1 |
8 | Fear of hurting someone with cancer during sex stops partners from having a sexual relationship with them | +2 | 0 | +1 |
9 | A person would feel disgusted with themselves for having sex with a person with cancer | −2 | −4 | −3 |
10 | Once someone is seen as a “patient”, they can’t be seen as a sexual partner | −3 | −4 | −3 |
11 | There isn’t anything sexy about caring for someone with cancer | −1 | −1 | +1 |
12 | People should always make time for sex even if they have cancer | −1 | +2 | −1 |
13 | Intimacy means more than just sex | +5 | +4 | +5 |
14 | Cancer can bring couples closer in their intimate relationship | +2 | +3 | +3 |
15 | Just being held may be all that the person with cancer wants | +4 | +3 | +5 |
16 | Cancer results in greater affection between partners | 0 | +2 | +1 |
17 | When a person is diagnosed with cancer, sex becomes taboo | 0 | −5 | −3 |
18 | Partners of people with cancer would feel guilty if they initiate sex | +1 | −3 | +2 |
19 | Partners of people with cancer should feel guilty for having sexual needs | −3 | −3 | −2 |
20 | Sex should be a low priority in the context of cancer | −2 | −2 | +2 |
21 | Only cancer involving “sexual” body parts (e.g. testicles, breast, prostate, cervix) affects a sexual relationship | −3 | −1 | −3 |
22 | Sex can no longer be spontaneous after the onset of cancer | −2 | −2 | 0 |
23 | Partners who care for a person with cancer are too tired for sex | 0 | −2 | −1 |
24 | Having sex with someone with cancer may hurt them | −1 | 0 | 0 |
25 | It would be embarrassing for a person with cancer to ask their partner to have sex differently | 0 | −2 | −2 |
26 | A partner wouldn’t bring up the idea of using a sex toy for fear of hurting the feelings of the person with cancer | 0 | −1 | 0 |
27 | A partner should be able to talk about their sexual needs to a person with cancer | +3 | +4 | 0 |
28 | A person with cancer should be able to talk about their sexual needs to their partner | +3 | +5 | +3 |
29 | Open communication between people with cancer and their partner is important to a satisfying sexual relationship | +4 | +5 | +4 |
30 | It’s important that health care professionals discuss the affect of cancer on the sexual relationship with partners of people with cancer | +4 | +2 | 0 |
31 | The sexual relationships of people with cancer are too personal an issue for health care professionals to discuss | −4 | −2 | −2 |
32 | The sexual relationship between a couple is a private matter | 0 | +1 | +3 |
33 | Health care professionals should discuss with people with cancer how cancer affects their sexual relationship | +4 | +2 | 0 |
34 | Sex therapy is as important as other therapies a person receives for cancer | +2 | +2 | 2 |
35 | If people with cancer and their partner cannot have sexual intercourse, they find other ways to be sexually intimate | +3 | +3 | +3 |
36 | If people with cancer and their partner cannot have a sexual relationship, their relationship is over | −4 | −4 | −4 |
37 | Real sex is penetrative sexual intercourse | −4 | −1 | −4 |
38 | It is okay for people with cancer and their partner to masturbate for sexual pleasure | +3 | +4 | +3 |
39 | Sexual aides keep a sexual relationship alive for people with cancer and their partner | +1 | +1 | 2 |
40 | Physical changes that result from cancer would make you feel less confident about sex | +2 | +1 | +1 |
41 | If a man with cancer can’t get an erection, there is no point in being intimate | −4 | −4 | −4 |
42 | If a woman with cancer can’t get aroused, there is no point in being intimate | −2 | −2 | −1 |
43 | Once you’ve lost control of your bodily functions, it’s hard to think about sex | +2 | +1 | +4 |
44 | Partners would feel rejected if the person with cancer doesn’t want to have sex | +1 | 0 | −1 |
45 | People with cancer should not be burdened by the sexual needs of their partner | −1 | 0 | +2 |
46 | It is depression that ends the sexual relationship in couples dealing with cancer | −1 | +1 | −1 |
47 | The sexual relationship goes up and down with the rollercoaster of emotions experienced during cancer | +3 | +2 | +4 |
48 | Sex is good for dealing with the anxiety that comes with cancer | +1 | +3 | −1 |
49 | You shouldn’t have sex with someone while they are receiving chemotherapy | −2 | −1 | 0 |
50 | If you have sex with someone with cancer, there is a real risk of catching it | −5 | −5 | −5 |
51 | You can’t spread cancer through sex | +5 | +3 | +4 |
52 | In the early stages of cancer, it’s important to maintain a sexual relationship to keep things normal | 0 | +4 | −2 |
53 | A sexual relationship is key to maintaining a good quality of life during the advanced stages of cancer | −1 | +1 | −4 |
54 | Sex can make cancer worse | −5 | −3 | −5 |
55 | Sex can’t be pleasurable if you’re experiencing pain | +1 | 0 | +1 |
56 | Cancer makes parts of the body off limits | 0 | 0 | +1 |