Patient perspectives on sexuality in hypopituitarism

Ida Bjorkman; Jenny Tiberg Persson; Eva Jakobsson Ung; Ann-Charlotte Olofsson; Gudmundur Johannsson; Lisen Dellenborg

doi:10.1530/endoabs.56.P908

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Endocrine Abstracts (2018) 56 P908 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.56.P908

Patient perspectives on sexuality in hypopituitarism

Ida Björkman¹, Jenny Tiberg Persson^2,³, Eva Jakobsson Ung¹, Ann-Charlotte Olofsson^2,³, Gudmundur Johannsson^2,³ & Lisen Dellenborg¹

Author affiliations

¹Institute of Health and Care Sciences and Gothenburg Centre for
Person-centred Care, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; ²Institute of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; ³Department of Endocrinolgy,
Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Aim: The aim of the study was to explore patient perspectives on sexuality in hypopituitarism.

Background: Hypopituitarism usually leads to a complete loss of sex hormones and the condition has a negative impact on sexuality. Previous research has mainly focused on erectile functioning in men and fertility issues in women but little is known about their sexual wellbeing and experiences of hypopituitarism in relation to sexuality.

Design: An interpretative, qualitative methodology inspired by Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics was carried out.

Methods: Individual interviews were conducted with 19 men and women with hypopituitarism. Data were collected between October 2011 and April 2012.

Findings: Four themes emerged that describe experiences of an altered sexuality in hypopituitarism: Desire, fatigue and lack of initiative, Intimate relationships and love, lust for life and self-perception and a public and private silence surrounding sexuality.

Conclusions: The altered sexuality included sexual functioning as well as wellbeing, which affected both self-perception and intimate relationships. The patient perspective on sexuality in hypopituitarism extends well beyond sexual functioning into issues of sexual wellbeing, intimate relationships, self-perception and cultural, gendered, norms. Nurses can aid patients in adapting to an altered sexuality but current health care practices focusing on sexual functioning and reproduction alone are insufficient.