Objective:
The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the change in sexual function following treatment with fractional CO2 laser therapy in breast cancer (BC) survivors with genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM).
Methods:
A single-arm feasibility study of BC survivors with symptoms of GSM, including dyspareunia and/or vaginal dryness, was conducted. Participants who received three treatments with fractional CO2 laser and 4-week follow-up were contacted for patient-reported outcomes and adverse events at 12 months. Sexual function was measured using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and Female Sexual Distress Scale Revised (FSDS-R). Descriptive statistics were calculated for patient demographics and disease characteristics for the set of participants who agreed to long-term follow-up and those who were lost to follow-up. FSFI and FSDS-R scores were summarized at baseline, 4 weeks and 12 months, as well as the change from baseline, and were compared using a Wilcoxon signed rank test.
Results:
A total of 67 BC survivors enrolled, 59 completed treatments and 4-week follow-up; 39 participated in the 12 month follow-up. The overall FSFI score improved from baseline to 4-week follow-up (median Δ 8.8 [Q1, Q3] (QS) (2.2, 16.7)], P < 0.001). There were improvements at 4 weeks in all domains of the FSFI (P < 0.001 for each) including desire (median Δ 1.2; QS [0.6, 1.8]), arousal (median Δ 1.2; QS [0.3, 2.7]), lubrication (median Δ 1.8 (0, 3.3), orgasm (median Δ 1.2; QS [0, 3.6]), satisfaction (median Δ 1.6 (0.4, 3.2)), and pain (median Δ 1.6 (0, 3.6). The FSDS-R score also improved from baseline to 4-week follow-up (median Δ −10.0; QS [−16, −5] P < 0.001) indicating less sexually related distress. The scores of the FSFI and FSDS-R remained improved at 12 months and there were no serious adverse events reported.
Conclusions:
In BC survivors with GSM, the total and individual domain scores of the FSFI and the FSDS-R improved after fractional CO2 laser therapy.
Video Summary:
http://links.lww.com/MENO/A711.
Utilizing community-based and culturally sensitive approaches, mental and behavioral health integrated into pediatric health care clinics can be sustainable and effective at improving child behavior problems, parenting stress, and overall family functioning.
Background:The role of the nurse scientist in the clinical setting is not well defined, which contributes to variability in role implementation, scope, administration, funding, and affiliation across healthcare sites.
Aims:The aim of this scoping review was to identify attributes of the clinical nurse scientist role and its operationalization in the clinical setting through available evidence.Methods: A comprehensive, computerized search of the literature in PubMed, Medline, and CINAHL was conducted in early May 2020 by a medical research librarian and repeated in July 2021 and April 2022. The 5-step framework described by Arskey and O'Malley guided the review methodology. Two reviewers conducted an independent screen of all articles, followed by a full-text review of eligible articles by two independent reviewers each using a standardized data extraction template.Themes were then organized and synthesized using descriptive content analysis from the included articles.Results: A final sample of 55 full-text articles were included in the review. Overall, the findings suggest that the nurse scientist role in a clinical setting can be challenging to implement in complex healthcare environments. Successful models include the nurse scientist in a leadership role, alignment of research with institutional priorities, and strong support from senior leadership.Linking Evidence to Action: Findings suggest that standardized guidelines are lacking to govern the implementation of the nurse scientist role in the clinical setting. To succeed, the nurse scientist role must be valued and supported by organizational leaders.Further, access to resources to build infrastructure must be provided. The magnitude and scope of individual organizational support can be tailored based on the resources of the institution; however, the foundation of having institutional leadership support is critical to role success of the clinical nurse researcher.
Reparative therapy, a form of counseling that seeks to help individuals get rid of their homosexual desires, has been an important component of the ex-gay movement, but the controversy surrounding the practice has been growing since the 1990s. As a result, the therapy has been effectively relegated to a deviant status by both mainstream society and the mental health profession. Nevertheless, a number of reparative therapists continue to offer their services. This article uses the sociological concepts of deviance and framing to identify both the factors that constitute the deviant status of reparative therapy and the frames practitioners use to legitimate the therapy within an increasingly hostile social environment. A content analysis of reparative therapy Web sites highlights differences between two types of reparative therapists: professional therapists who emphasize the client's right to pursue change and religious counselors who prioritize biblical teachings prohibiting homosexual acts. The results contribute to the sparse sociological literature on reparative therapy and the use of frames by individuals who have experienced marginalization.
Research and clinical practice efforts to improve outcomes for men with prostate cancer have largely ignored the unique social support circumstances of gay and bisexual men (GBM), leading to a gap in the literature regarding social support needs of GBM with prostate cancer. Capistrant et al. (2018) addressed this gap by using survey data to examine social support and quality of life in GBM with prostate cancer. Their work provides insights about how nurses can make changes through research and clinical care to better treat GBM with prostate cancer.
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