Women diagnosed with breast cancer are exposed to aggressive and violent treatments that attempt against the materiality of the gendered body. The objective of this article is to analyze the experiences and perceptions of women who underwent breast cancer surgery, regarding their sexuality and gender identity. For this purpose, twenty episodic-narrative interviews were conducted in the city of Quito, Ecuador with women diagnosed with breast cancer. It was concluded that sexuality is a highly complex field that is not restricted to specific body fragments; this is significantly affected, not only by mastectomy, but also by the treatments that women undergo and by the relationships they establish and maintain with others. Finally, it was shown that despite the fact that their bodies are transformed by surgical interventions, their gender identity is rooted in the gender roles socially assigned as feminine.
Keywords:
Breast cancer, body, gender identity, mastectomy, sexuality
Aguayo Zurita, E. (2021). Gender identity and sexuality of women with breast cancer: beyond the materiality of the body. Revista Punto Género, (15), pp.70–88. https://doi.org/10.5354/2735-7473.2021.64414
