Sexual health in women and sexual-gender-minority patients with cancer: A nationwide survey on healthcare professional awareness and attitude on behalf of MITO and AIRO-gynecology group.

The overall survey response rate was 20.8% with 184 clinicians responding.

• The online survey was sent to members of MITO (Multicenter Italian Trials in Ovarian cancer and gynecologic malignancies group) and AIRO (Italian Association of Radiation Oncology) gynecology group.
• A total of 184 clinicians responded out of those surveyed.
• The survey was developed by a multidisciplinary team.
• The questionnaire covered four dedicated sections: demographic data, clinical context, communication and assessment practices, possible barriers, and treatment approaches.

Patient gender identity and sexual orientation were not routinely assessed by Italian oncological providers.

• The lack of routine assessment applied to both women and sexual gender minority (SGM) patients.
• This gap was identified across the surveyed clinicians from both MITO and AIRO groups.
• The finding indicates a systematic omission in intake and assessment practices.
• SGM patients represent a population whose specific sexual health needs are particularly understudied compared to male patients.

Up to 39.7% of respondents reported average or extreme difficulty in discussing sexual health issues with patients.

• Despite a high overall attitude to talk about iatrogenic potential of sexual dysfunction, nearly 40% of providers reported significant difficulty.
• The specific figure cited was 'up to 39.7% of the respondents declared average/extreme difficulty in facing this issue.'
• This tension between positive attitude and reported difficulty highlights a gap between willingness and actual communication competence.
• Several barriers to discussing sexual health were recorded in the survey.

Radiation and medical oncologists more frequently referred patients to dedicated specialists for management of iatrogenic sexual dysfunctions compared to other provider types.

• This pattern of referral behavior was identified as a distinguishing characteristic between provider specialties.
• The finding suggests that management of sexual dysfunction was often delegated rather than handled directly by the treating oncologist.
• This referral pattern may reflect gaps in training or confidence in managing sexual health issues directly.

Multiple barriers to addressing sexual health in oncology settings were identified among Italian providers.

• Barriers were captured in a dedicated section of the four-part survey instrument.
• The study did not specify all individual barriers by name in the abstract but noted 'several barriers were recorded.'
• Barriers contributed to a significant gap in knowledge regarding sexual health management in women and SGM patients.
• The presence of barriers persisted despite respondents' generally positive attitude toward discussing sexual dysfunction.

The study identified an urgent need for enhanced healthcare provider training and specific guidelines on sexual health for women and SGM cancer patients.

• The authors concluded there is a need to equip providers 'with the necessary tools to recognize, discuss, and treat this type of toxicity.'
• Sexual dysfunction was characterized as having 'a significant impact on the social well-being and quality of life of long-term survivors.'
• The need for specific training and guidelines on sex-related health issues was highlighted despite high provider attitude to discuss iatrogenic sexual dysfunctions.
• Sexual health was described as 'a key component of comprehensive care for female and SGM patients during their oncological journey.'

Sexual health remains poorly studied in women and SGM patients with cancer compared to male patients.

• The disparity in research attention between male and female/SGM cancer patients was identified as the motivating context for the study.
• The survey addressed both oncological providers from gynecologic oncology (MITO) and radiation oncology (AIRO-gynecology) contexts.
• This knowledge gap extends to both clinical practice and research literature.