Talking about post‐injury sexual functioning: The views of people with spinal cord injuries—A qualitative interview study.

Aim: This study aimed to explore perceptions of people with spinal cord injuries regarding the information they received during their rehabilitation programme on post‐injury sexual functioning. Background: Spinal cord injury is a traumatic, life‐altering event that is associated with loss of motor and sensory function and sexual impairment. Existing evidence suggests that sexual issues are poorly handled during the rehabilitation phase of the patient's journey. Design A descriptive qualitative design was utilized in this study. Methods: Twenty‐nine people with spinal cord injury participated in qualitative in‐depth interviews between November 2017 and April 2018, and data were analysed using the Burnard (1991, https://doi.org/10.1016/0260-6917(91)90009-y) thematic analysis framework. Results: Some participants indicated they were sexually inactive prior to their spinal cord injury. They testified that they had not received information on post‐injury sexual functioning. Many participants who received post‐injury information on sexual functioning reported dissatisfaction with the content and timing of this information. Conclusion: Personal conversations between spinal cord injured patients and dedicated members of the interdisciplinary health team can enhance the quality of rehabilitation care and patients' satisfaction with rehabilitation care. Nurses are central clinicians in the rehabilitation programme of spinal cord injured patients and should engage in individually designed conversations about post‐injury sexual functioning. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Spinal cord injury causes significant disturbances of sexual functions and sexuality with potential serious implications for sexual relationships.Sexual health issues are considered important aspects of holistic care but are not routinely addressed in health‐care settings.Spinal cord injuries units provide rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injuries. What this paper adds? There are multiple barriers to providing high‐quality information on sexual functioning within the rehabilitation setting, associated with personal, clinician and systems‐related factors.Determinations regarding individualized plans for sexual health conversations must be collaborative with the patients and possibly their family members, considering the individual views of patients regarding the best timing, content and most appropriate method for such interventions.The experiences and views of people with spinal cord injury are diverse and probably culturally dependent, and there are inherent risks associated with stereotypical attitudes to sexual behaviour and age. The implications of this paper: Spinal cord rehabilitation services must respond to the identified unmet needs of people with spinal cord injury regarding education on sexual functioning.Multidisciplinary teams that utilize a holistic approach designed collaboratively with the individual with spinal cord injury will have the best potential for success.To be able to successfully realize rehabilitation standards, clinicians must be immersed in techniques and strategies that motivate and guide them in discussing sexual functioning and other sexual health‐related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]