Sexual Dysfunction and Intimacy for Ostomates

Overview

Journal Clin Colon Rectal Surg

Date 2017 Jul 8

PMID 28684938

Citations 14

Authors

Jeffrey A Albaugh

Sandi Tenfelde

Dana M Hayden

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Sex and intimacy presents special challenges for the ostomate. Since some colorectal surgery patients will require either temporary or permanent stomas, intimacy and sexuality is a common issue for ostomates. In addition to the stoma, nerve damage, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are often used in conjunction with stoma creation for cancer patients, thereby adding physiological dysfunction to the personal psychological impact of the stoma, leading to sexual dysfunction. The purpose of this paper is to describe the prevalence, etiology, and the most common types of sexual dysfunction in men and women after colorectal surgery and particularly those patients with stomas. In addition, treatment strategies for sexual dysfunction will also be described.

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