Percepções culturais de estudantes de enfermagem acerca da sexualidade: o dito e o velado

Abstract

This study investigated the cultural perceptions of nursing undergraduate students regarding sexuality. The research had as loco the Federal University of Santa Maria, and the subjects were nursing undergraduate students of this institution. The main purpose was to comprehend to what extent sexuality, which is culturally conditioned, is understood and experienced by the nursing students with the aim of contributing to the construction of singular meanings concerning this human dimension on nursing care. This study aimed to recognize how the cultural construction of sexuality on the part of nursing students is built; unveil the feelings that emerge in relation to this issue, and identify the coping attitudes of these subjects in the situations that involve the theme in providing nursing care. This field research is a descriptive research with a qualitative approach. Data collection was done by means of focus group technique between May and June 2009 involving the participation of 14 students. The thematic analysis of Minayo (2008) was used. The interpretation of data established five categories: Sexuality as a Cultural Construction; Revealing Meanings; The Removal of Veils: Sexuality on Nursing Care; The Construction of Sexuality in Nurse s Academic Education; and Glimmering Perspectives. The results indicated that the construction of sexuality is related to the context in which the subject was socialized; questions related to the theme of sexuality started being discussed from adolescence; there was the distinction of gender on the education of children with regards to these questions and, in a minor proportion, it was discussed through clear and elucidative dialogical relations with the maternal figure. Sexuality was seen as a broad and dynamic concept; associated to gender roles; to the dimension of genitality and of sexual act, and to self-knowledge. The feelings that emerged concerning the theme of sexuality on the nursing care span nervousness, insecurity, distress and embarassment. Some students keep this human event veiled and change the subject when providing care, others seek to establish a dialogical relation, however, they concentrate on merely technical explanations. Some take the use of the technique mainly as a support to provide nursing care. On the students view, the theme has been neutralized and banalized on the nursing care and being treated as a mockery. With regards to the nurse s academic education concerning the theme of sexuality, the subject is treated through an eventually and informally character. The approach of the theme consists of a focus on neutrality, prohibitions and assexualization. It is recommended that sexuality should be approached as a subject of study in nursing and as a phenomenon inherent to every human being. It is believed that there is a need of promoting spaces for discussion and reflection which approach not only the sexuality of the subject receiving care, but also the student s. Finally, the possibility that the theme of sexuality should be worked on a transversal way is pondered, starting with the reality experienced by these subjects.