Callout for Participants – Reclaiming Pleasure: A project about bodies, sexuality and cancer

– Have you had a diagnosis of primary breast cancer and no longer have any evidence of disease?
– Are you interested in contributing to a project about the impact of cancer on your relationship with your body, sexuality and pleasure?
– Would you like to join a creative workshop (no prior experience necessary) and be interviewed about your experiences?

Reclaiming Pleasure is a PhD study running from May-October 2024 which seeks to uncover stories from people about their experiences of pleasure, sexuality and embodiment after a breast cancer diagnosis. Participants will have the opportunity to participate in a full-day creative workshop where they can explore their relationship with their body and with pleasure, and their sense of self post-cancer. We want to find a diverse group of participants so we can gather a range of stories and experiences.

Who can take part?
Anyone who has received a primary diagnosis of breast cancer at any point in the past, and now has no evidence of disease and is not receiving active treatment. You must be over 18 and live in the UK.

Why take part?
This project asks for your time at 4 separate moments between May and October 2024. We anticipate that there will be several benefits to taking part:
– You will meet others who may have experienced similar things to you, creating a community of care for those who have experienced breast cancer
– You will get to experience a wonderful creative workshop led by a creative facilitator which will give you skills and space to be able to explore your experiences creatively, equipping you with techniques you can use at any time
– We want to be able to gather stories from a diverse range of people with different experiences and feelings about their bodies, sexuality and pleasure post-cancer
– Our aim is that the results of this research have a direct impact on practices of care and can provide support to others who have experienced similar things, or are newly diagnosed.

Who is leading the project?
Carmel Cardona, a researcher at King’s College London, is leading the project as part of her PhD. Carmel was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 and ovarian cancer in 2019, and has written extensively about how this affected her sense of self. She is now focusing her academic research in this area and hopes to develop creative interventions that will affect real change. We are so grateful for your interest and hope you will join us for this important study.

First we would like to find out a bit more about you, so that we can be sure we are including a diverse range of participants. Then Carmel will contact you directly, will send you more detailed information about the research, and arrange a short online meeting so you can ask any questions you may have and make sure you’re happy with everything before the research begins. Please answer these questions as fully as you are able, and be assured that all responses are confidential and will be viewed only by Carmel. If you have any questions please contact Carmel directly at carmel.cardona@kcl.ac.uk.

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