New Study On SGD Prostate Cancer Patients

Online survey is studying the quality of treatment for sexually and gender-diverse patients and survivors…
 
The Sexual Health Research Laboratory at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., is conducting a study of men diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer and the cancer’s impact on various aspects of the participants’ lives. The analysis, which will be done based on the results of an online survey of affected males, aims to target the consequences of the disease and its treatments.
 
Studies on prostate cancer are quite common in the field of health; what makes the Queen’s analysis stand out is that its objective is to discover how the illness affects sexually and gender-diverse patients (SGD), a group that is rarely taken into consideration. Much of the previous research has either been restricted to heterosexual males or else the individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity has been overlooked entirely, even though these factors may add additional complications to the patient’s life both during and after treatment.
 
The survey will ask questions regarding participants’ health-related quality of life, experiences within the Canadian healthcare system, mental health, social support and sexual outcomes (which will look at satisfaction, functioning, and changes in sexual roles and activity). Through the series of questions, the research team at Queen’s aims to distinguish if SGD patients share the same experiences and level of care during prostate cancer treatment as heterosexual and cisgender males.
 
Previous studies regarding prostate cancer treatment have suggested that different sexual concerns have arisen post-treatment in gay and bisexual men compared to heterosexual males. Some of these studies have also shown that SGD patients have experienced the healthcare system differently than heterosexual, cisgender patients, suggesting that heteronormative biases, homophobia and a lack of information from healthcare providers have all been factors affecting the quality of healthcare provided.
 
If the findings of the study show an imbalance in the quality of treatment for SGD patients, healthcare providers can assess the issues and modify the services provided to better suit the needs of each individual. As well, the analysis could potentially raise issues for SGD patients that would have otherwise gone unmentioned.
 
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in Canadian males, with approximately one in seven men developing the illness in their lifetime. Although the disease has a high rate of survivorship – an estimated 95 per cent survival rating – affected individuals still run the risk of complications as a result of the cancer and its treatment.
 
For more information about the Sexual Health Research Laboratory, visit www.sexlab.ca.
 
—
 
DANIEL MITRI is a Toronto-based writer with a strong interest in music, politics and cooking. If he’s not playing his bass guitar, you can find him poking through vintage record stores and frequenting 24-hour restaurants.