When breast cancer crosses real life: sexuality, conjugality, and gender issues from the perspective of surviving women

Abstract The goal of the research was to analyze the perception of sexuality in women diagnosed with breast cancer, regardless of the treatment stage. This was a qualitative study conducted in the state of Ceará. Eleven women over the age of 18 with a diagnosis of breast neoplasia participated, excluding those with metastasis. The sample was determined by theoretical saturation, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires covering clinical and sociodemographic data, conducted via the Google Meet® platform. The content was analyzed based on Bardin’s content analysis theory. After the analysis, 03 categories emerged: Reconfigurations of the body, corporeality and identity in the midst of illness; Perceptions about sexuality and reframing of experiences; It was a shock for both of us: the experiences of conjugality. The results highlighted that the treatment negatively affects corporeality as well as the reconfigurations of the body, corporeality, and gender identity amidst illness, in addition to the re-signification of sexual experiences and aspects related to conjugality. The perception of sexuality was fragile, being unconsciously unknown in its full scope but experienced in various possibilities through the re-signification of negative experiences.