Volume 41 Number 4

Sexuality and Illness – A guidebook for Health Professionals

Reviewed by Michelle Harris-Allsop

For referencing Harris-Allsop M. Sexuality and Illness – A guidebook for Health Professionals. WCET® Journal 2021;41(4):25

DOI https://doi.org/10.33235/wcet.41.4.25

PDF

Author(s)

中文

Author Anne Katz

Publisher Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158

Published 2022

ISBN 978-0-367-70336-3

Format Hard cover

Pages 168

 

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This book provides information and guidance for health professionals on how disease and disability impacts on sexual health and wellbeing across the lifespan from adolescence to older age. Further, the book describes how sexuality is an important aspect of being human and how it is affected by sexual aging, including the physical and cognitive challenges associated with illness, disease and disability.

There are 14 chapters in the book. The content is diverse and is divided into three sections. The first section provides an overview of human sexuality and how sex works, including the human sexual response cycle and sexual dysfunction. The importance of communication about sexuality and sexual function between patients and health professionals is discussed.

The second section provides the latest evidence on the role of many different medical conditions and diseases such as trauma, mental illness, cancer, disability and infertility and their potential relationship to sexuality and sexual function.

The third section provides illustrative case studies and includes evidenced-based assessment tools. Recommendations for interventions and treatments to guide management of sexual dysfunction are provided for adolescents, men and women, taking race and ethnic diversity, gender and sexual preferences into consideration. The factors addressed are relevant to all members of an interdisciplinary team.

On reflection, and for any future iterations of the book, I hope that the author would consider including dementia as a disability and how dementia impacts relationships. The psychosocial spiritual and emotional need for intimacy or sex in later life for older adults may change. Both physical ailments and cognitive disabilities, such as a type of dementia or from the loss of their partners through death or separation, impacts the quality of life for older people. As people live longer there will be times when new relationships may be formed among those in their seventies up to mid-nineties. Current residential aged care facilities are often not welcoming to any sexual expression, even within marriage. The environmental design in aged care has an influence on privacy and together the care givers attitude may include stereotyping older adult’s sexual expression and intimacy.

Sexuality and relationships are a vitally important aspect of human need. Illness and disability have the potential to disrupt the norm for an individual or a couple. The factors addressed in this book are relevant to all members of an interdisciplinary team. In addition, this book would be a useful addition to schools of nursing and medical curricula to guide discussion, accrue knowledge and be able to implement information on sexuality and sexual dysfunction into clinical practice


性行为与疾病-专业医护人员指南

Reviewed by Michelle Harris-Allsop

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33235/wcet.41.4.25

Author(s)

PDF

作者 Anne Katz

出版商 Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158

出版时间 2022年

ISBN 978-0-367-70336-3

格式 精装本

页数 168

 

book review.png

 

本书为专业医护人员提供信息和指导,说明疾病和残疾如何影响人们从青春期到老年的性健康和幸福感。此外,该书描述了性行为是如何成为人类的一个重要方面,以及它是如何受到性衰老的影响,包括与疾病和残疾有关的身体和认知挑战。

本书共有14章。内容多样,分为三个部分。第一部分概述了人类的性行为以及性的作用方式,包括人类性反应周期和性功能障碍。讨论了患者和专业医护人员之间关于性行为和性功能的沟通重要性。

第二部分提供了关于多种不同医疗状况和疾病作用的最新证据,如创伤、精神疾病、癌症、残疾和不育,以及它们与性行为和性功能的潜在关系。

第三部分提供了说明性病例研究,包括基于证据的评估工具。鉴于人种和种族多样性、性别和性取向,为青少年、男性和女性提供了指导性功能障碍管理的干预和治疗建议。所涉因素与跨学科团队的所有成员有关。

经过深思熟虑以及考虑到本书未来会有不同版本,我希望作者会考虑纳入以下信息:将痴呆症作为一种残疾,以及痴呆症如何影响人际关系。老年人在晚年对亲密关系或性行为的心理、精神和情感需求可能会发生变化。身体疾病和认知障碍,如痴呆症或因死亡或分居而失去伴侣,都会影响老年人的生活质量。随着人们寿命的延长,70多岁到90多岁的老人之间可能会建立新的关系。目前的住宅养老设施通常不欢迎任何性表达,即使是在婚内。养老院中环境设计对隐私有影响,同时护理者的态度可能包括对老年人性表达和亲密关系的刻板印象。

性行为和亲密关系是人类需求的一个极为重要的方面。疾病和残疾有可能扰乱个人或夫妻的正常生活。本书中所涉因素与跨学科团队的所有成员有关。此外,本书将是护理和医学学校课程的有益补充,可以指导讨论、积累知识,并能够将有关性行为和性功能障碍的信息落实到临床实践中


Author(s)

Michelle Harris-Allsop
N, PG Dip Gerontology, Master Clinical Nursing, RM(UK)
Clinical Educator, Hall & Prior Health and Aged Care Group
Western Australia
Clinical Nurse Consultant Older Adult Care, Care Partnerships Australia