OBJECTIVE: compare quality of life (QoL) and sexual functioning between sexually active ovarian cancer survivors and healthy women. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in 103 successfully treated ovarian cancer survivors and 220 healthy women. All women had engaged in sexual activity within the previous 3 months, and ovarian cancer survivors were under surveillance after primary treatment without evidence of disease. QoL and sexual functioning were assessed using three questionnaires; the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), Ovarian Cancer Module (EORTC QLQ-OV28), and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Propensity score matching was used to adjust covariates between the ovarian cancer survivor and healthy women groups. In total, 73 ovarian cancer survivors and 73 healthy women were compared. RESULTS: Poorer social functioning (mean, 82.4 vs. 90.9; p=0.010) and more financial difficulties (mean, 16.4 vs. 7.8; p=0.019) were observed among ovarian cancer survivors than among healthy women. Sexuality, both in terms of desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain and in terms of interest in sex, sexual activity, and enjoyment of sex (EORTC QLQ-OV28) were similar between the groups. However, vaginal dryness was more problematic in ovarian cancer survivors, with borderline statistical significance (p=0.081). CONCLUSION: Sexuality was not impaired in ovarian cancer survivors who were without evidence of disease after primary treatment and having sexual activities, compared with healthy women, whereas social functioning and financial status did deteriorate. Prospective cohort studies are needed.
Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Health ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; *Ovarian Neoplasms/epidemiology/psychology/rehabilitation ; *Quality of Life/psychology ; Sexual Behavior/*physiology/psychology ; *Sexuality/physiology/psychology ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; *Survivors/psychology/statistics & numerical data

The goal of this research was to provide the basic data of sexual education for late schooler by finding out what they want to know about sex, or to see, if any, its relevancy between female and male students and between each grade. The sample for this research was a total of 453 students in 4th, 5th and 6th grade from 12 different classes at two elementary schools which were located in C city and in B province. The children were requested to write down three points on what they want to know or to learn most about sex, and their answers were put through two analytical stages in order to classify and to examine. The followings are the conclusions from the data. 1. The female cluster took 44.2% out of the whole sample, and there were 151 students per each grade. The specific girl ratios for each grade were 42.4%, 50.3% and 39.7% respectively. 2. It was noted that a total of 1,195 questions were gathered from the students writings, 45% of the questions was raised by the female students. The 4th grade students raised 432questions (43.8% by the girl) while the 5th. and the 6th grade students raised 387 (53.2% by the girl) and 376 questions (42.3% by the girl) respectively. The average number of questions per students was 2.6 while the female students raised 2.8 questions which was more than the average 2.5 questions by male students. It was the 4th grade female student cluster, which raised the most question (3.0) while the 6th grade male students raised the least question (2.4) in average. 3. The questions raised by the children could be divided into seven categories of the knowledge need on sex. They were Reproduction (310 questions, 25.9%), Sexual Culture (230, 19.2%), Concept of sex (125, 18.0%), Changes of Puberty (172, 14.4%), Sexual Health (119, 10.0%), Anatomy and Physiology of Reproductive System (78, 6.5%) and Sexual Tendency and behavior (71, 5.9%). 4.'Reproduction'was the most frequently raised questions not only by both sex groups but also by the 5th grade students. Both sexes in the 4th grade showed the highest interest in Sexual Culture while it was Changes in Puberty for the both sexes in the 6th grade. The knowledge need on sex of the children indicated what they understand sexuality. They apprehended sex as sex, gender and sexuality in an inclusive way. They showed a major interest in the biological sex and the sexual activities. It seems that the children managed to understand clearly the meaning of gender, furthermore, they even pointed out that the streotyped sex role, patrimonial system and the sexual discrimination were unreasonable. The students possessed not only the least but also the most negative understanding in regard of sexuality. Two suggestions were made from the above conclusions for the practical sex education as well as its research. 1. For the practice: The sex education for the elementary upper grade school student should be relevant with their cognitive characteristics, also it should be more specific on the reproductive organs of both sexes, the actual scenes of the pregnancy and child delivery procedures. The gender concept should be added to the biological sex education, which will lead them to understand the unreasonableness of today's male-superior phenomenon and correct them. It is also necessary to develop educational programs for this age group so as to help them to understand sex in the sense of sexuality as well. 2. For the research: It is not easy to draw out a through conclusion since this study was carried out as one-time data collection. Yet it is undeniably helpful for the sex education if we can understand what the children want to know about sex, how much they know about it by conducting deep-interview researches through a small number of sample.
Adolescent ; Child ; Data Collection ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Education ; Female ; Gender Identity ; Humans ; Male ; Physiology ; Pregnancy ; Puberty ; Reproduction ; Reproductive Health ; Sex Education ; Sexual Behavior ; Sexuality ; Child Health