Evaluating the sex lives of women with gynaecological cancer: A qualitative study on nurses' perceptions and experiences.

Oncology nurses play a key role in addressing sexual health challenges arising from gynaecological cancer. This study aimed to explore oncology nurses' perceptions and experiences regarding the assessment of sexual problems in women diagnosed with gynaecological cancer. The study was conducted with 12 nurses working in a medical oncology clinic of a research hospital, using a qualitative design with a phenomenological approach. Data were collected through face-to-face semistructured interviews and analysed using the Colaizzi method. Two main categories were derived from the collected data: patient-nurse communication about sexual experiences and barriers faced by nurses in assessing sexual issues. These themes included six subthemes. Nurses reported difficulties initiating conversations about sexuality, feeling inadequate and uncomfortable discussing the topic, and viewed workload as a barrier to providing sexual counselling. This study highlights the obstacles nurses face in integrating sexual health into holistic cancer care.