Breast cancer in lesbian women: meanings attributed by pacients and their partners to disease and oncologic treatment

Author(s)

Carolina de Souza

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Ribeirão Preto.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC)
• Defense date: 2019-10-21

Examining board members

Manoel Antonio dos Santos; Daniela Auad; Marislei Sanches Panobianco; Egberto Ribeiro Turato

• Advisor: Manoel Antonio dos Santos

Abstract

Breast cancer is the second most common type of neoplasm among women in Brazil and in the world, corresponding to 29% of new cases each year in the country. As the rates of incidence and survival of breast cancer are currently high, many women will live with the sequelae of their treatment for a relatively long time. This makes it more and more opportune to invest in studies that lead to the development of interventions that can contribute to improve the psychological and physical health of these women. The literature dedicated to aspects related to sexuality of the affected woman is based on the assumption that she has a heterosexual orientation, according to the naturalized assumption of heteronormativity. Considering these assumptions, this study aims to understand the meanings attributed by lesbian women with breast cancer to illness and their experiences of oncologic treatment. This is a qualitative, cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory study that had gender studies as a theoretical framework. Seven women participated, four of whom were diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent oncologic treatment and three were intimate partners. For the construction of the corpus of analysis, seven episodic narrative interviews were conducted, with questions that sought to circumscribe the meanings that homosexual women, and their partners, attribute to the disease and treatment. The interviews were conducted individually, in face-to-face situations, lasting between 77 minutes and 331 minutes, and were recorded with the consent of the participants. After data collection, the audio-recorded content of the seven interviews was transcribed literally and in full. Subsequently, the data were analyzed and discussed from the perspective of inductive thematic content analysis. The results showed that the treatment of cancer causes numerous body changes and all participants who had the disease brought some or several resulting physical damages. The meanings attributed by them to these impairments were largely limited to the physical/body dimension: pain, limitation of movements and other sequelae and complications. The affected women experienced mastectomy as a very aggressive process that impacted their body image. The experiences of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy were marked by tiredness and pain and by the changes that these processes triggered in the couple\'s relationship. The companions focused more on the emotional aspects experienced with their partners and intensified their ties of complicity and companionship. It could also be observed that some participants felt well received by professionals in the health services, while others reported several experiences of prejudice and discrimination by male doctors because they were a lesbian couple, which negatively impacted the quality of the bond and the work alliance. It is discussed that the lack of perception of prejudice and discrimination during treatment may be related to invisibility in the service of the lesbian relationship. It is hoped that the knowledge produced in this study can contribute to the implementation of health promotion and prevention strategies for psychosocial treatment and rehabilitation services for women undergoing mastectomy, enabling the development of social and public policies implemented by the State that are sensitive to sexual and gender diversity (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/26212-2 - Meanings attributed by homosexual women and their partnerships to breast cancer and it treatment
• Grantee: Carolina de Souza
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master