A 27-year-old female patient is diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer and is told she needs to have a hysterectomy. One of the nursing diagnoses for this patient is disturbed body image related to perception of femininity. What intervention would be most appropriate for this patient?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient needs reassurance that she will still have a vagina and that she can experience sexual intercourse after temporary postoperative abstinence while tissues heal. Information that sexual satisfaction and orgasm arise from clitoral stimulation rather than from the uterus reassures many women. Most women note some change in sexual feelings after hysterectomy, but they vary in intensity. In some cases, the vagina is shortened by surgery, and this may affect sensitivity or comfort. It would be inappropriate to reassure the patient that she will still be able to have children; there is no reason to reassure the patient about not being able to have sex. There is no way you can know how the patient is feeling and it would be inappropriate to say so.

A 27-Year-Old Female Patient Is Diagnosed with Invasive Cervical Cancer