Sexualidade versus câncer de mama: (re)significação da imagem corporal das mulheres frente ao diagnóstico

Abstract

The perception of the woman about her body image is essential in her sexuality and, in this perception, the breasts have a great role, since they are associated with the femininity, sensuality and sexuality of the woman. In view of this the present study has as objective: to describe the (re)meaning of sexuality for the woman when discovering herself with malignant neoplasm of the breast. This was a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study, carried out with 15 women who were in the High Complexity in Oncology Center (CACON) of the University Hospital Professor Alberto Antunes (HUPAA), located in Cidade Universitária, Maceió-AL. After approval by the Ethics Committee under the CAAE number 58313816.6.1001.5013, the data were collected from November 2016 to May 2017, through semi-structured interviews, which were performed individually and recorded. The collected data were transcribed in full and analyzed using the Bardin Discourse Analysis. The research had as theoretical reference the basic human needs theory of Wanda de Aguiar Horta. The results were divided into two themes for presentation: The feelings related to (re)signification of the body image and The cure above the (re)signification of the body image before the diagnosis of breast cancer. This study made it possible to perceive that women, after diagnosis of malignant neoplasm of the breast, (re)mean in different ways the relationship between cancer diagnosis and sexuality. When faced with the diagnosis, they tend to seek support from other people and to leave aside their other needs because they have a cure for cancer as a priority.