![\"Amanda](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Denesprofile.jpg\")
\u201cDespite the recognition that sexuality should be part of end-of-life care and is vital for couples with cancer to maintain connection, sexual needs are rarely assessed among metastatic cancer patients. Their needs for intimacy may be even stronger than before cancer, given the limited time and highly emotional experience of facing a terminal diagnosis,\u201d says Denes.<\/p>\n
A cancer diagnosis is a life-altering experience that impacts not only physical health, but also mental and emotional well-being, and social relationships.<\/p>\n
For married or committed couples, a cancer diagnosis becomes a shared challenge as they cope with the diagnosis and adjust to their new reality. Cancer can impact and change the communication patterns that couples have established, as well as their roles and responsibilities in the relationship.<\/p>\n
Although being married or in a committed partnership has health benefits and may improve quality of life<\/a>, couples navigating a cancer diagnosis may also experience heightened levels of stress and breakdowns in communication<\/a>, a major cause of divorce or breakups.<\/p>\n Mutual, constructive communication has been shown to ease psychological distress, sustain closeness and intimacy, and improve outcomes. It is particularly important for couples to engage in discussions about their sexual health, even if they may be reluctant.<\/p>\n \u201cSex is one of the most frequently discussed topics among couples facing cancer, so there is evidence that talking about sex is important in this context. There has been some work demonstrating the benefits of interventions focused on improving sexual communication between reproductive cancer patients and their partners, but much of this work overlooks the experiences of people with advanced cancers, like metastatic breast cancer,\u201d says Denes.<\/p>\n Denes is collaborating with Keith Bellizzi, a professor of gerontology in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences. He has expertise in cancer survivorship and quality of life, including sexual function.<\/p>\n “While there has been growing attention to psychosocial impacts of cancer, intimacy in couples is much less understood, particularly among women with metastatic breast cancer,” says Bellizzi.<\/p>\n Denes and Bellizzi previously collaborated on projects exploring couples\u2019 communication about sexuality in the context of reproductive cancers. They also conducted preliminary testing of the study\u2019s survey tool.<\/p>\n \u201cIdentifying specific forms and features of talk that may help or hinder couples as they navigate intimacy in the context of metastatic breast cancer is a pivotal first step in understanding if and how communication can benefit individual and relational well-being. Findings from this study will help identify aspects of communication that patients find beneficial when navigating sexuality and intimacy in their relationship,\u201d says Denes.<\/p>\n![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/keith-bellizzi-standing-320x320-CROPPED-1536x1536-1-300x300.jpg\")