Unscripted sexual practices: Sexual health of men having sex with men after prostate cancer treatment

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to describe the sexual health of men having sex with men after prostate cancer treatment.
Methods: A snowball sampling was conducted via clinicians and gatekeepers to the community. After consenting to participate, a semi-structured interview was conducted based on a questionnaire related to symptoms and issues, and the help asked for and received. The interviews were approximately one hour and took place via digital platforms. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and then analyzed using content analysis. The following themes emerged during the analysis: A predominant heteronormative care, A situation of suffering and possibilities, A window of peer support system emerged.
Results: The men described how their sexuality had been severely affected by the treatments they had received. Bodily changes with decreased penis size, difficulties maintaining an erection, and less pleasure from anal sex. However, they also described the benefit of being men who had sex with men. They described being accustomed to exploring new ways of expressing and exploring their sexualities due to a lack of sexual scripts. The prostate cancer treatment had given them a new reason to explore new sexualities and sexual practices. In contacts with urology and oncology departments, both physicians and nurses, the men described a heteronormative environment. Albeit same-sex partners could be asked for in intake notes, no one reflected on what non-penovaginal sexuality could look like. Therefore, it was challenging to get the appropriate care for the men after prostate cancer treatment that did not involve erectile dysfunction medications. Instead, their friends and ability to find alternative ways to valid information became important.
Conclusion: The result shows that predominantly heteronormative care exists for men who have sex with men. The new insight of the treatment is regarded as a situation of suffering and new possibilities. To conclude, men who have sex with men describe care that was well-meaning but heteronormative. The men described being men having sex with men as something that had made them explore unscripted sexual practices and had given them a broader sexual repertoire that was helpful for their sexual health. Furthermore, the support they received emerged from a peer support system in their private life.