An Underestimated Human Need After Renal Transplantation: Sexuality

Abstract

Sexual health is a subject that can generally be overlooked in follow-up examinations after transplantation. The aim of this study was to determine the perceptions of sexuality and sexual health care requirements of patients following kidney transplantation. The data were examined of 98 patients who underwent renal transplantation in the Nephrology Polyclinic between May and October 2019. The data were collected using a data collection form prepared by the researchers with the benefit of previous literature. The data obtained were evaluated using percentages, mean and standard deviation values and the Chi-square test. The patients comprised 57.1% males and 42.9% females with a mean age of 42.2 ± 12.09 years (range 21–71 years), Following transplantation, 52% of the patients reported an improvement in the quality of sex life, 79.6% an increase in sexual desire, and 70.5% an increase in sexual satisfaction. We determined that 52.0% of the patients could not comfortably ask healthcare personnel about sex-life-related problems. Sexuality after transplantation was stated to have had an effect on sex life. The researchers also found that support of the spouse and a change in the relationship with the spouse affected sex life after transplantation. We determined that the sex lives of both male and female patients were affected after renal transplantation. Despite problems related to sexual functioning in the period after renal transplantation, there was seen to be a need for information and counselling about sexual problems by all the patients, regardless of gender.