Sexual education may improve sexual function, quality of life for women after THA
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Key takeaways:
- Postoperative sexual education improved satisfaction, sexual function and quality of life for women who underwent hip arthroplasty.
- Results were compared with a control group of patients who received usual care.
According to published results, postoperative sexual education counseling may improve patient satisfaction, sexual function and quality of life for sexually active women who undergo total hip arthroplasty.
Hatice Öner Cengiz, PhD, RN, assistant professor in the department of nursing at Ankara University in Turkey, and colleagues randomly assigned 31 sexually active female patients (mean age, 53 years) who underwent THA to receive either postoperative sexual education (n = 15) or routine clinical care (n = 16). Prior to postoperative discharge, the sexual education group received one individualized sexual education counseling session with their partners and an educational handout, while the control group received discharge education that included brief information about sexual issues.
“Education addressed the definition of THA, the importance of sexual health, the definition of sexual intimacy, methods of sexual intimacy, general rules regarding post-THA sexual activity and positions,” Cengiz and colleagues wrote in the study.
Outcome measures were assessed at 1 month, 3 months and 6 months postoperatively and included the index of female sexual function, the sexual quality of life questionnaire – female and VAS scores for fear of sexual activity and satisfaction with sexual activity.
For both groups, mean postoperative VAS fear scores decreased and mean postoperative VAS satisfaction scores increased over time. However, Cengiz and colleagues found the sexual education group had significantly higher mean sexual quality of life questionnaire – female score at all postoperative follow-ups. Mean sexual quality of life questionnaire – female score was 74.8 for the sexual group and 54.3 for the control group at 6 months postoperatively.
For the sexual education group, mean index of female sexual function score improved from 16.7 preoperatively to 36.4 at 6 months. For the control group, the score improved from 19.3 preoperatively to 32.6 at 6 months. Cengiz and colleagues noted the improvements in score were significant for both groups.
“Sexual education after THA may reduce the negative effects of the disease or surgery on sexual activity while increasing satisfaction and quality of life,” Cengiz and colleagues wrote in the study. “As a result, it can be concluded that nurses and physicians should provide sexual education for healthy sexual activity in the post-THA period.”
Collapse
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts