The Sexual Behaviors of Patients Receiving Peritoneal Dialysis Treatment

This study has been carried out descriptively and qualitatively in order to investigate the sexual behavior of patients receiving peritoneal dialysis. The study was conducted with 35 patients whose peritoneal dialysis treatments were ongoing in the peritoneal dialysis unit. The data was collected through semistructured and in-depth individual interviews. All interviews were tape-recorded. The raw results were obtained by analyzing the content of the recorded data. As a result of the content analysis three major themes, sexual life before peritoneal dialysis treatment, sexual life during peritoneal dialysis treatment and sexual values and conduct, and 18 (on-eight) sub-themes have been formed. According to the findings of the investigation, peritoneal dialysis patients perceive sexuality as sexual relations, womanhood duty and the basis of marriage; that they did not have sexual problems before illness, that the illness has unfavorably affected their sexual life and that there should be no sexuality during illness. In the light of these findings, almost all peritoneal dialysis patients have sexual concerns during or following treatment. Interventions directed at eliminating patients' sexual problems will have a part in improving their quality of life.