Representações sociais da sexualidade e outras experiências para homens penectomizados por câncer de pênis

Abstract

Although penis cancer is a rare neoplasm, it corresponds to 2% of all tumors affecting the male population. It has an aggressive evolution, in addition to increasing morbidity with mutilating prognoses and mortality. In this scenario, for involving the reproductive and sexual organ that is the symbol of male identity, the theme of sexuality imposes itself. Sexuality can be affected during the entire process involved in diagnosis and treatment of these patients, evidenced by the onset of situations that range from changes in the body to aspects related to feelings and sensations. The objective of this work was to analyze the social representations of sexuality for individuals that have been penectomized due to penis cancer. Was used a descriptive, exploratory and qualitative study conducted with 09 men in the late postoperative period of penectomies for penis cancer treatment. Semi-structured interviews guided by the following questions were conducted: What has your life been like after the surgery? How do you relate, intimately, with your partner after the surgery? How do you understand sexuality? Which are your expectations for the future? The testimonies were submitted to thematic content analysis as proposed by Bardin and interpreted in the light of the constructs from the Theory of Social Representations. As a result, the emergence of four thematic units emerged from the analysis of the narratives, as social representations of sexuality for penectomized men in relation to the penis cancer treatment, namely: a) Penectomy as a mutilating treatment; b) Being a man without a penis; c) Faith and religiousness leading life; and d) Sexuality for penectomized men. It was concluded that the representations built from the testimonies of men that have been penectomized due to penis cancer present sexuality as strongly linked to the conceptions of masculinity and as an event permeating all life aspects. Consequently, understanding the social representations of sexuality from the perspective of these subjects can contribute to reflecting about the praxis of the professionals responsible for the comprehensive assistance to be provided to this population group, considering health care complexity and dynamics