Difficult legacy in a close relationship : sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and body image in patients with BRCA mutation after prophylactic mastectomy and/or adnexectomy

Aim of the study:
Continuous scientific progress and the development of genetics have opened up new possibilities in the field of cancer prevention by detecting DNA mutations that increase oncological risk. In the case of high risk, special recommendations are addressed to the carriers of gene mutations and they concern, inter alia, surgical prophylactic procedures - mastectomy and adnexectomy. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between sexual satisfaction, partner satisfaction and body assessment in women with the BRCA mutation depending on the preventive surgery performed by them that reduce cancer risk.

Subject or material and methods:
The study involved 310 women with the BRCA genetic mutation and were healthy at the time of the study. The study lasted 7 months and the variables were measured using the Sexual Satisfaction Sale for Women (SSS WR15), the Matched Marriage Questionnaire (KDM-2), the Body Esteem Scale (BES) and the questionnaire enabling the collection of sociodemographic data and information related to cancer history and preventive operations performed.

Results:
The conducted analysis showed significant differences between the patients depending on the preventive surgery performed in terms of sexual attractiveness, weight control and all dimensions of partner and sexual satisfaction.

Discussion:
The results obtained are consistent with the results of studies conducted in other countries.

Conclusions:
It has been proven that there are relationships between body assessment and sexual satisfaction as well as between body assessment and relationship satisfaction, and that there are differences in these areas between the groups of women who performed preventive mastectomy, adnexectomy, both procedures or none.