With improvement in screening and treatment, most men with prostate cancer (PCa) live longer following diagnosis. Erectile dysfunction (ED), bowel and urinary incontinent have been shown to be the most bothersome side-effects of most PCa treatment for patients. With increasing long-term survival, most PCa face the prospect of experiencing symptoms, side-effects of treatment, and diminished health related quality of life. The objective of the study was to explore the impact of treatment induced ED on hegemonic masculinity among black South African PCa survivors. Twenty (20) prostate cancer survivors, selected through purposive sampling, with ages ranging from 67 to 85 years (meanage = 76yrs; SD = 5.3) participated in the study. In-depth, individual semi-structured interviews was used to collect data and analyzed through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The findings indicate that ED threatens or adversely impact the participants’ perceptions of their sense of masculinity leading to diminished quality of life. The results demonstrates that loss of masculinity brought about by PCa treatment induced ED is experienced both physically as well as psychologically. The results highlight a need for collaboration between medical and psychological professionals in the management of PCa patients. This is crucial to improve the overall health related quality of life for patients.
Nkoana et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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