Dimensions of Sexual Self-Concept in Women with Endometriosis: A Qualitative Exploration
Bibliographic record
Abstract
This study aimed to explore and interpret the dimensions of sexual self-concept among women living with endometriosis, focusing on how chronic pelvic pain, emotional distress, and relational factors shape their perceptions of sexuality and identity. A qualitative exploratory design was employed using semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 20 women diagnosed with endometriosis residing in Canada. Participants were selected through purposive sampling, ensuring variation in age, marital status, and duration since diagnosis. Interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework, supported by NVivo 14 software for coding and data organization. Trustworthiness was ensured through member checking, peer debriefing, and maintaining an audit trail. Analysis revealed three overarching themes: (1) Altered Body and Self-Perception, describing loss of femininity, body shame, and internalized guilt; (2) Emotional and Relational Challenges in Sexual Intimacy, highlighting fear of pain, avoidance of intercourse, communication barriers, and relational insecurity; and (3) Coping, Adaptation, and Sexual Empowerment, encompassing self-acceptance, meaning-making, spiritual coping, and redefinition of sexual identity. Participants demonstrated both vulnerability and resilience, reconstructing their sexual self-concept through self-compassion, supportive relationships, and advocacy. The findings indicate that endometriosis affects not only physical sexuality but also emotional identity and relational dynamics. Sexual self-concept in women with endometriosis is a multidimensional construct shaped by pain, body image, partner understanding, and personal meaning-making. The study underscores the importance of integrating psychosocial and relational support into endometriosis care to promote sexual well-being and identity reconstruction.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.008 | 0.009 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.001 | 0.000 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.002 | 0.002 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.004 | 0.006 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.003 | 0.002 |
| Open science | 0.001 | 0.004 |
| Research integrity | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.002 | 0.000 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".