Role of Sexuality in the Quality of Life of Palliative Care Patients: A Narrative Review.

This literature review identifies patients' experiences regarding sexuality in palliative care (PC) settings, the tools available for its assessment, and how healthcare professionals address these needs. A literature review was conducted through a comprehensive search of articles published during the last decade in the PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases using predefined keywords. Seventeen studies were selected based on strict criteria of relevance, clinical significance, and psychosocial applicability to establish the argumentative foundation of this review. The findings revealed that the primary needs related to sexuality centered on the possibility of establishing effective communication with healthcare professionals, as sexuality remains an important aspect of quality of life for most patients receiving PC, regardless of disease stage. However, this dimension is rarely addressed in clinical practice. Furthermore, healthcare professionals often report feeling insufficiently trained and inadequately prepared to discuss these issues with patients, despite the availability of assessment tools such as the PLISSIT (Permission, Limited Information, Specific Suggestions, and Intensive Therapy) model. Sexual health constitutes an essential component of PC; however, its assessment and management remain limited due to sociocultural and healthcare-related barriers. The implementation of standardized protocols and continuous professional training strategies may facilitate its integration into clinical practice.