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Joyce F. Liu, MD, MPH
Joyce F. Liu, MD, MPH
Posted: Thursday, August 13, 2026
Women who undergo treatment for gynecologic cancers frequently experience sexual health concerns that can affect intimacy, body image, sexual desire, orgasm, and overall sexual relationships. Despite the well-recognized impact of these issues on quality of life, sexual health remains an underaddressed aspect of gynecologic cancer survivorship.
To better understand how survivors would like these discussions incorporated into routine care, Krzysztof Nowosielski, MD, of the Department of Gynecological Oncology, Medical University of Silesia and the Beskidzkie Center of Oncology in Poland, and colleagues, conducted the Sexual Health Integration in Treatment of Gynecological Oncology (SHIFT-GO) Study. Results were published in the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer.
The study evaluated survivors’ preferences regarding the timing, frequency, content, format, and clinical responsibility for sexual health counseling across the cancer care continuum.
Study Details
The investigators distributed a cross-sectional, online questionnaire study among women aged 18 years or older who had completed treatment for ovarian, cervical, or endometrial cancer and had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2 or lower. Participants were recruited nationwide in Poland via patient advocacy groups, online forums, and social media between November 2022 and May 2023.
Eligible respondents completed a survey designed to assess prior experiences with sexual health counseling, as well as preferences for when counseling should occur, which health-care professionals should provide it, and which topics and educational formats were most valuable. Sexual activity was broadly defined as any genital stimulation, with or without a partner, for sexual pleasure, and investigators compared responses between women who had resumed sexual activity after treatment and those who had not.
Among 335 eligible survivors, 201 completed the questionnaire and met all inclusion criteria. The cohort included survivors of ovarian (41.3%), cervical (42.2%), and endometrial (16.4%) cancers, with a mean age of 43.9 years (range = 24–71 years). The authors noted that the online, self-selected recruitment strategy may have favored younger, more digitally engaged survivors and therefore limits the generalizability of the findings.
Key Findings
Only 15 of the respondents (7.4%) said they had been offered sexual health counseling, and just 7 women (3.4%) had seen a sexual medicine specialist. By contrast, more than half of respondents preferred sexual health to be addressed during treatment planning and included in discussions of treatment-related adverse effects, while 62.3% wanted the topic revisited at every follow-up visit. Nearly two-thirds identified gynecologic oncologists or gynecologists as their preferred providers for initiating these conversations. Nevertheless, 69.2% reported that no clinician had ever initiated discussion of sexual health.
The most commonly requested counseling topics included resuming sexual activity, managing decreased libido, and preventing dyspareunia. Nearly all respondents (93.6%) wanted written or digital educational materials, with web-based resources and printed leaflets preferred over mobile applications. Among women who sought help for sexual concerns, more than half reported receiving no meaningful assistance, and some described dismissive responses from clinicians.
The authors concluded: “In this online cohort of gynecologic cancer survivors, sexual health counseling was infrequently reported, while many respondents expressed a preference for structured, repeated discussions from diagnosis through survivorship. Implementation of a structured, patient-centered counseling pathway may improve survivorship care quality and access.”
Disclosure: For full disclosures of all study authors, visit sciencedirect.com.
International Journal of Gynecological Cancer
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