Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of women with gynecological cancers attending teaching hospitals in Ekiti State.
Methodology: A qualitative research design was used using a phenomenological method. Twenty women with gynecological cancers were recruited for the study using purposive sampling. The research instrument was a structured interview guide. The interviews were conducted once and recorded using a digital voice recorder and basic demographic information of respondents was obtained after each interview. The interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis and major themes emerged from the study, while the demographic information was analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Findings: Results from this study identified nine major themes which include ignoring the initial warning signs, reliance on unprofessional help and spiritual interventions, feeling of uncertainty and sense of vulnerability, bodily changes and altered body image, the burden of chemotherapy, financial hardship, counting the losses, dealing with community and family-based stigma and then cancer as a spiritual attack. This study therefore recommends the need to address individual perceptions about the causes of gynecological cancers as well as the need to draw a supportive intervention by the government for affected persons.
LIVED EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WITH GYNECOLOGICAL CANCERS ATTENDING TEACHING HOSPITALS IN TEACHING HOSPITALS IN EKITI STATE.
