Opening communication with cancer patients about sexuality-related issues

This study describes 215 healthcare professionals' experiences of discussing sexuality- related issues with cancer patients at a university hospital in Finland. The results indicate that staff on the cancer ward regard discussions about sexuality as a part of their job. However, discussions on these issues are uncommon: 98% of the respondents said that they talked about these issues with less than 50% of their patients, and only 35% started these discussions on their own initiative. The most important reason for not raising the issue is lack of training. More intensive education on how to open discussions on sensitive areas such as sexuality is needed.