Abstract
D.Litt et Phil.
Cervical cancer has debilitating symptoms that affect the physical, emotional, social and spiritual dimensions of self-schema. This study adopted a qualitative method to explore the experiences of women living with the disease and focused on self-perceptions. Purposive sampling was used to select 16 women undergoing follow-up treatment for cervical cancer. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed through thematic analysis. The main themes included physical symptoms, sexual intimacy, family obligations, support and coping, effects of treatment, illness schemas, disclosure and spirituality. The findings indicate the impact of cervical cancer on women’s self-schema and a need for a holistic intervention to manage the illness.