Résumé
Les normes de genre jouent un rôle considérable dans la manière dont les infirmier·es abordent la sexualité avec les patient·es. Hommes et femmes ne sont pas aussi informé·es sur cette thématique et les données qui leur sont transmises varient sensiblement. Néanmoins, cette projection d’attentes différentielles de la part des professionnel·les de santé ne suffit pas à appréhender la complexité des enjeux de genre au sein des relations soigné·e/soignant·e. L’âge notamment est crucial à considérer. Présentant les résultats d’une enquête menée par entretiens auprès d’infirmier·es exerçant en oncologie en Suisse romande (5 hommes et 24 femmes), cet article révèle les variabilités genrées de la prise en charge soignante au prisme du vieillissement. Il montre aussi les effets différenciés sur l’abord de la sexualité des relations « intergenre » et « intragenre », dont on note des spécificités selon l’écart d’âges soignant·es/patient·es. Cet écart permet d’ailleurs de nuancer le risque d’érotisation de la relation comme frein à la parole.
Gender norms play an important role in the way of nurses talk about sexuality with patients. Men and women are not equally informed about this subject and the informations they receive may significantly differ. However, this projection of different expectations between men and women does not sufficiently explain all the complexity of gender issues involved in the relationship between patient and care givers. In particular, age is important to take into account. Results based on in-depth interviews (5 men and 24 women) conducted with nurses working in oncology in Western Switzerland reveal gendered variability in patient care practices through the prism of aging. Moreover, it shows different effects on the way of talking about sexuality depending on “inter-gender” and “intra-gender” relationships and, also, specificities according to the age gap between nurses and patients. This gap allows to nuance the risk of an eroticisation in care givers’ and patients’ relationship seen as an obstacle to the discussion of sexuality in oncology.
Gender norms play an important role in the way of nurses talk about sexuality with patients. Men and women are not equally informed about this subject and the informations they receive may significantly differ. However, this projection of different expectations between men and women does not sufficiently explain all the complexity of gender issues involved in the relationship between patient and care givers. In particular, age is important to take into account. Results based on in-depth interviews (5 men and 24 women) conducted with nurses working in oncology in Western Switzerland reveal gendered variability in patient care practices through the prism of aging. Moreover, it shows different effects on the way of talking about sexuality depending on “inter-gender” and “intra-gender” relationships and, also, specificities according to the age gap between nurses and patients. This gap allows to nuance the risk of an eroticisation in care givers’ and patients’ relationship seen as an obstacle to the discussion of sexuality in oncology.