This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Save to my personal folders Download to citation manager Rights & Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wyatt, G. E. Articles by Ganz, P. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wyatt, G. E. Articles by Ganz, P. A. Social Bookmarking                            What's this?

Does a History of Childhood Sexual Abuse Affect Sexual Outcomes in Breast Cancer Survivors?

From the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Schools of Medicine and Public Health, and Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA

Address reprint requests to Patricia A. Ganz, MD, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, 650 Charles Young Dr S, Room A2-125 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6900; e-mail: pganz{at}ucla.edu

PURPOSE: Little is known about a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in breast cancer survivors and its relationship to sexual functioning after cancer. As part of a larger survey study examining sexuality and intimacy in breast cancer survivors, we conducted in-person interviews with a subsample of participants.

METHODS: A total of 147 women in Los Angeles, CA, and Washington, DC, completed a structured interview that addressed sexual socialization and a history of sexual abuse. Trained female interviewers conducted the interviews. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were used to examine the prevalence of CSA, and its potential impact on sexual health and functioning.

RESULTS: One in three women reported at least one CSA incident. Among women who had experienced CSA, 71% reported a single incident, and 22% reported a penetrative form of sexual contact. In multivariate regression analyses examining physical and psychological aspects of sexuality and body image, CSA was not a significant predictor of physical discomfort. However, a history of penetrative CSA was a significant predictor of psychological discomfort (P = .02).

CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CSA in this sample was similar to the general population literature on this topic. In this small sample, a past history of CSA did not contribute significantly to the physical discomforts associated with sexual intimacy after breast cancer; however, our findings suggest that a past history of penetrative CSA is associated with increased psychological discomfort, and may warrant additional examination in future research.

Supported by grant No. R01 CA 63028 from the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD. P.A.G. is also supported in part by an American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professorship.

Authors' disclosures of potential conflicts of interest are found at the end of this article.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. R. Schover Premature Ovarian Failure and Its Consequences: Vasomotor Symptoms, Sexuality, and Fertility J. Clin. Oncol., February 10, 2008; 26(5): 753 - 758. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]