17 November 2007

Breaking the silence on cancer and sexuality

An important new book by a Winnipeg author

Anne Katz is the sexuality counsellor at CancerCare Manitoba in Winnipeg and an internationally recognized expert in the field of illness and sexuality. She is a Registered Nurse and Adjunct Professor at the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Katz has recently published a textbook that sums up the work she has been doing for five years: Breaking the silence on cancer and sexuality: a handbook for healthcare providers. A review that appeared in Home Healthcare Nurse (Volume 25(8), September 2007, p 520) calls this book "long overdue." Dr. Katz's goal is to break the silence on a topic that is all too frequently avoided, ignored, neglected, deflected, postponed, botched, bungled, or binned.

Clinicians often have trouble broaching the subject of sexuality with patients. Dr. Katz intends to change that. Her book seeks to broaden health care providers' knowledge related to sexual changes and cancer. Through a discussion of a range of cancers and how they affect the sexual lives and feelings of patients and their partners, she explains how to identify problems, initiate a discussion, share information, make appropriate referrals, and provide a well-rounded counselling experience.

Clearly written and authoritative (Dr. Katz's research is extensive, and she is the current editor of Nursing for Women's Health), this book is a valuable bench tool for clinicians. With its comprehensive strategies for addressing the most intimate issues of sexuality and cancer, it is also poignant and wise.

Highly recommended for all health sciences libraries.


Have a look at Dr. Katz's website: www.drannekatz.com

Katz, Anne. Breaking the silence on cancer and sexuality: a handbook for healthcare providers. Philadelphia: Oncology Nursing Society; 2007.

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