Women Less Likely to Accept Organs from Living Donors

[Clark]

http://www.counselheal.com/articles/10893/20140815/women-less-accept-organs-living-donors.htm

Women Less Likely to Accept Organs from Living Donors
CHRISTINE HSU

Despite getting more offers from family and friends, women are significantly less likely to desire receiving kidneys from living donors, according to new research.
After studying black kidney failure patients undergoing dialysis, researchers found that women are significantly less likely than men to want to receive kidney transplants from living donors.
Researchers said that latest findings suggest healthcare providers need to boost women's acceptance of living donor kidney transplantation. This is important because patients with kidney failure benefit the most from kidneys of live donors.
"Information gained about the concerns and attitudes of hemodialysis patients regarding living donor kidney transplantation might help us develop targeted interventions designed to alleviate some existing disparities," lead researcher Dr. Avrum Gillespie of Temple University School of Medicine said in a news release.
The latest study involved 116 patients in two urban, predominately black kidney failure units.
The study revealed that women were significantly less likely to undergo living donor kidney transplantation compared to their male counterparts. For instance live transplants account for 58.5 percent of female kidney transplants and 87.5 percent of male kidney transplants. However, women were more likely than men to receive unsolicited offers for kidney transplants. Researches note that women were less likely than men to have been evaluated for a kidney transplant.
"To help improve the gender disparities in living donor kidney transplantation, future work is needed to learn how to support and encourage women to accept transplants," said Dr. Gillespie.
The findings will be published n an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).