Experiences about sexuality from the perspective of mastectomized women and in chemotherapeutic treatment

Objective: To describe the experiences of women with mastectomies, undergoing chemotherapy, in relation to sexuality. Method: Descriptive study with a qualitative approach, carried out with eighteen women, in an outpatient chemotherapy service, of a regional hospital, located in the interior of Minas Gerais. For data collection, semi-structured individual interviews were used, from August to September 2020. Data analyzed according to the technique of content analysis. Research project approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the State University of Minas Gerais, under number 4,181,540. Results: The reports showed that most of these women understand sexuality as synonymous with the sexual act. Thus, different experiences were mentioned by them, which were preserved when breast retention was seen as something normal or experienced as one of the attributions of marriage. However, we also find reports in which the experience of sexuality is no longer a priority or has even undergone changes, in relation to daily life, such as when there is a woman's dissatisfaction with her new image or when this was affected by the side effects of the treatment. Conclusion: Addressing the issue of sexuality and identifying the perception that women have in relation to the effects of mastectomy on their body and image is an essential task in the process of comprehensive care, as this appeared in the reports of these women as a strong device for keep or distance yourself from the experiences of sexuality and to face the disease and life in general.