Thinking Inside the Box: On Identity, Sexuality, Prostate Cancer, and Social Support

This fictional account results from three years of studying a social support group for prostate cancer patients and their loved ones. As a consequence, the story centers on the issue of identity and its relationship to illness, a significant cause of concern among group members. The story addresses the loss of sexual function and general agency that often accompany the disease, then considers the roles of social support and open communication in negotiating a new identity.