Sexual health, sexuality and living with a stoma

As people move through their life, different aspects of sexual health become important. Thoughts, expressions and outcomes of sexual health may be influenced by culture, friends and social media. They can also vary over time. This underlies the concept of sexuality. However, discussions about sexuality and sexual health can be difficult to have sometimes, due to embarrassment for both patients and health professionals. Nonetheless, it is important for health professionals to be knowledgeable enough to have these discussions and feel confident to initiate them with patients who are scheduled to have a stoma. This might include ways to explore sexual health with partners or how to manage sexual dysfunction should it occur. Staff with a greater understanding about this issue can increase confidence in initiating discussions with patients about sexual health.