Understanding Why More Women Donate Kidneys
Author Information
Author(s): Ritah R. Chumdermpadetsuk, Adriana Montalvan, Stalin Canizares, Bhavna Chopra, Martha Pavlakis, David D. Lee, Devin E. Eckhoff
Primary Institution: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Hypothesis
Both sexes are equally likely to become approved as living donors, but female volunteers are more likely to follow through with donation.
Conclusion
The overrepresentation of female volunteers among living kidney donors is due to a higher rate of self-referral for evaluation, not differences in approval or follow-through.
Supporting Evidence
- Females were 1.9 times more likely to volunteer for living donor evaluation.
- Both sexes had no significant differences in completing medical and psychosocial workups.
- Female volunteers were more likely to be excluded due to ABO incompatibility.
Takeaway
More women than men want to donate kidneys, but once they start the process, both are equally likely to be approved and actually donate.
Methodology
This study involved a retrospective chart review of self-referrals for living donor evaluation over a 13-year period.
Potential Biases
Potential selection bias due to the availability of data and the retrospective nature of the study.
Limitations
The study is retrospective, which may introduce bias and misreporting, and it was conducted at a single center.
Participant Demographics
The cohort included 1214 female (65.2%) and 647 male (34.8%) volunteers.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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