An intersectional gender analysis in kidney transplantation: women who donate a kidney.

BACKGROUND: Living-donor transplantation is the best treatment option in patients with chronic kidney failure. Global data show that women are less likely to be kidney recipients than men but are more likely to become living kidney donors. We explored the experience of women who donate a kidney to relatives with biological and socio-cultural ties and to understand the similarities and differences in their experience. METHODS: A qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study with an intersectional analysis of gender. Ten women donors accepted in the transplant evaluation period participated, all of whom donated a kidney to a pre-dialysis relative. Two categories were included: women with biological kinship ties (mothers, sisters) and women who have a socio-cultural relationship (wives) with kidney recipient. The data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Women donate their kidneys in a convinced manner, without worrying about their health, with an optimistic and positive attitude, and without believing that they are acting heroically. Women with biological kinship ties see it as a 'naturalization thing'. In contrast, wives donate conditioned by gender roles, but also as a form of empowerment and as a personal benefit: they donate in order to avoid taking on carer role for their husband and as a way of protecting their children. CONCLUSION: The study's findings expand the conception of kidney donation as solely altruistic and may help professionals to pay attention to the complexity and intersectionality of features present in women who are living kidney donors.

The experience of donating and receiving a kidney: A systematic review of qualitative studies.

BACKGROUND: The experiences described by people who have undergone kidney transplant are complex. Understanding how donors and recipients experience kidney transplantation can help us to design strategies that provide a more person-centred health care. OBJECTIVES: To review articles that report the experiences of donors and recipients in the living-donor kidney transplantation process. METHOD: A systematic review of qualitative studies was carried out. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL and PsycINFO databases were used to search for articles published in English, French and Spanish between 2005 and 2018. RESULTS: Twenty-nine articles were included in this review. For recipients, receiving a kidney is a positive experience (positive feelings and significant experience) that also involves certain difficulties and stressors (making a difficult decision, fears and worries). The experience of the donors is positive as they are motivated to improve the life of the recipient. They are committed to donating and use coping strategies as well as experiencing personal growth. On the contrary, being a donor involves certain difficulties and stressors (personal investment, mental, physical and economic impact and overcoming opposition) and a perception of deficiency in the health system (lack of information and attentiveness). CONCLUSION: Donating and receiving a kidney is a positive experience that involves certain difficulties and a variety of stressors for both the donors and recipients. Moreover, the donors note deficiencies in the health system.

ANTECEDENTES: Las experiencias que explican las personas sometidas a un trasplante renal son complejas. Entender como experimentan el trasplante renal los donantes y los receptores nos puede ayudar a diseñar estrategias para proporcionar una atención sanitaria más centrada en la persona. OBJETIVOS: Revisar artículos que hablen sobre las experiencias de los donantes y los receptores en el proceso de trasplante renal de donante vivo. MÉTODO: Se realizó una revisión sistemática de estudios cualitativos. Se utilizaron las bases de datos Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cinahl y Psycinfo para buscar artículos desde el año 2005 hasta 2018 publicados en inglés, francés o español. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 29 artículos en esta revisión. Para los donantes la experiencia de donar es positiva ya que están motivados para mejorar la vida del receptor, donan de forma convencida, utilizan estrategias de afrontamiento y experimentan crecimiento personal. Por otro lado, donar supone dificultades y estresores (inversión personal, impacto económico, físico, mental y superar la oposición) y percepción de carencia en el sistema sanitario (falta de información y desatención). Para los receptores el recibir un riñón es una experiencia positiva (sentimientos positivos y experiencia significativa) ligada también a dificultades y estresores (toma de decisión difícil, temores y preocupaciones). CONCLUSIONES: Dar y recibir un riñón es una experiencia positiva que comporta dificultades y factores estresantes diferentes para los donantes y para los receptores. Además, los donantes constatan una carencia en el sistema sanitario. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.