Psychosexual identity development in adolescent and young adult survivors of testicular cancer

Section A: There is very little qualitative literature exploring the experiences of testicular cancer survivors (TCS), with most research focussing on the use of questionnaires and surveys. This literature review of qualitative research focussed on the experiences of TCS and amalgamated recurring themes. The findings identified themes of relationships, physical self-perception, masculinity, sexuality, fertility and clinical support. Some of these impacts also interact, such as fertility and masculinity. Clinical implications and future research recommendations are discussed.

Section B: Whilst there is little qualitative literature exploring the experiences of TCS, there is even less focussing on adolescent and young adult (AYA) TCS aged between 16-25. This is a critical period of an AYAs life-stage, where TC may be impacting their psychosexual identity development. This study explored the experience of AYA TCS in relation to their psychosexual identity development using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Five Global Experiential Themes emerged: ‘Dealing with the shock’, ‘Fear and weight of responsibility’, ‘Those closest to me’ and ‘Sense of change’. An interpretation of the findings is that some AYA TCS develop characteristics typically associated with ‘traditional’ masculinity (e.g., stoicism and emotional detachment) whilst others moved away from ‘traditional’ masculinity features (e.g. violence and aggression). Research and clinical implications are discussed.