The observational study of selected sexual behaviour issues in female organ transplant recipients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate sexual behaviour in women following solid organ transplantation.

STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional single-centre survey study of 230 female organ transplant recipients, aged 18-45years.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sexual behaviour, contraceptive awareness and methods of birth control.

RESULTS: 205 females declared to be post their sexual initiation. The mean age at sexual initiation in our study population was 20.3±3.3years (range: 14-32). Fifty-three percent (122/230) of the patients declared that they had only one sexual partner at enrolment. After transplantation female organ recipients became more sexually active (71% vs. 83%; p=0.018). The frequency of sexual intercourse decreased significantly in the post-transplant period (p=0.004). In the group of sexually active females before transplantation the frequency of sexual intercourses decreased significantly in the post-transplant period (mean Δ -0.16±0.79; p=0.004). An increase or lack of change in the frequency of sexual intercourse was noted amongst younger transplant-recipients (OR: 0.91; 95%CI 0.86-0.97) and women with effective birth control methods post-transplantation (OR: 3.68; 95%CI 1.60-8.49).

CONCLUSION: Sexual education of organ transplant recipients is necessary, mainly in younger patients, who present to be more sexually active, thus they need to be taught about effective family planning.