• Janneke van Roij, Natasja Raijmakers, Anna Thit Johnsen, Maiken Bang Hansen, Martine Thijs-Visser, and Lonneke van de Poll-Franse.
• The Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organization, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
• Palliat Med. 2022 Apr 1; 36 (4): 698-707.

BackgroundCancer and its treatment can severely affect sexual health. It is unknown how this may relate to the feelings of closeness between patients and their partners.AimTo assess the association between sexual health and closeness in the relationship in couples coping with advanced cancer.DesignThis study was part of a prospective multicentre longitudinal observational cohort study on experienced quality of care and quality of life in patients with advanced cancer and their relatives (eQuiPe).Setting/ParticipantsBaseline data regarding sexual health and closeness in people with advanced cancer and their partners.ResultsOut of the 566 dyads, 14 were same-sex couples. Especially male partners showed an interest in sex, but more than half of all patients and partners were not sexually active. Approximately one third experienced sexual dysfunction to be a problem but did not seek specialized support (<10%). There was a positive association between own sexual satisfaction and feelings of closeness in the relationship, which was stronger for partners compared to patients (p < 0.001). Sexual satisfaction of the other person was also related to own feelings of closeness (p = 0.003).ConclusionsCouples coping with advanced cancer clearly face challenges regarding sexual health but are not likely to seek specialized support. When discussing sexual health, it is crucial that health care professionals pay attention to the aspects of sexual health that may contribute to feeling close to each other and suggest specialized care if necessary.Trial RegistrationThe eQuiPe study is registered as NTR6584 in the Netherlands Trial Register.

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