Sexuality and Its Related Factors of Patients with Spinal Cord Injury

• Main Authors: Shu-Fen Lin, 林淑芬
• Other Authors: Yun-Fang Tsai
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/54793213291919924735

碩士 === 慈濟醫學院 === 護理學研究所 === 87 === The purpose of this study was to explore sexuality and its related factors among spinal cord injured (SCI) patients. A correlative study was designed. Subjects were recruited from SCI patients in Hualien from December 15, 1998 to March 30, 1999. A structured questionnaire, which included sexual activity, sexual adjustment and sexual function, was used to collect the data. Data were analyzed by SPSS for Windows 7.0. The totality of 63 males and 12 females of SCI patients participated in this study. Among them, 89.3% reported to have a sexual activity before injury but only 50.7% to have it after the spinal cord was injured. The average time of re-engaged in a sexual activity after SCI was 1.41.6 years. In the domain of sexual adjustment, subjects’ scores on sexual desire, sexual activity and sexual satisfaction was significant lower in post-injured with compared to pre-injured. Sexual adjustment was influenced by age, the marital status, the employment, the severity and the classification of injury. In addition, subjects'' feelings about sex were only significantly correlated with sexual adjustment. Compared with their pre-injured and post-injured scores on sexual function, males reported significantly lower scores on obtaining erection, maintaining erection, the hardness of erection, and ejaculation after injury. Overall, 85.7% of the SCI males were able to obtain erection. However only 54.0% males could gain full tumescence to intercourse, and only 19.0% to achieve ejaculation per intercourse. On female SCI patients, they reported to have significantly fewer experiments on orgasm and got lower scores on sexual function after injury. In addition, the sexual function was influenced by the level, the severity and the classification of injury in SCI males. Although the sexual dysfunction may not directly interfere with human life, it will bring severe conflicts to SCI patients and their families. Thus, the findings of this study may offer the bases of nursing care for SCI patients. Based on this information, nurses can provide more humanity and integrity to achieve the goal of "the holistic care" for these patients. As a result, good sexual life and sexual adjustment could improve a quality of life for SCI patients. Key words: sexual adjustment, sexual function, sexuality