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A nurse-led sexual rehabilitation programme for rebuilding sexuality and intimacy after treatment for gynaecological cancer: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

AIM
To implement a nurse-led sexual rehabilitation programme for gynaecological cancer (GC) survivors and to evaluate its effects on their sexual functioning, sexual distress and marital satisfaction.


DESIGN
An assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial.


METHODS
The development of the nurse-led sexual rehabilitation intervention was guided by the concept of sexual health, as stated in the Neotheoretical Framework of Sexuality; the explicit permission giving, limited information, specific suggestions and intensive therapy model; and evidence-based nursing interventions for sexuality. Four intervention sessions will be delivered along the treatment trajectory. Women newly diagnosed (within 3 months) with GC will be recruited from the gynaecological units of three hospitals in Hong Kong. The participants (N = 172) will be randomly assigned to the intervention group to receive the nurse-led sexual rehabilitation programme, or to an attention control group to receive attention on four occasions during the same period when the intervention group receives the intervention. Sexual functioning, sexual distress and marital quality will be measured at baseline, 1 month after the completion of cancer treatment, after completion of the sexual rehabilitation programme and 12 months after cancer treatment. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with the participants in the intervention group to explore their experiences with and feelings towards the programme. The study was funded in March 2019 and ethics approval was obtained in January 2019.


DISCUSSION
Positive outcomes of the nurse-led sexual rehabilitation programme will contribute to scientific and practical knowledge about nursing interventions to help GC survivors and their partners to resume a satisfying intimate relationship and adapt to changes in sexuality after treatment.


IMPACT
This study will contribute to the evidence for and advance research on the effectiveness of nurse-led sexuality rehabilitation interventions to support women and their partners to rebuild sexuality and intimacy after treatment for GC.