Living non-related versus related renal transplantation -: its relationship to the social status, age and gender of recipients and donors

Background, Persistent differences between social classes and genders exist in the quality of medical care due to disparities in need and access. Methods. 149 haemodialysis (HD) patients including 114 renal transplant candidates, and their proposed live donors were interviewed and followed for 4 years. Differences in need and access were analysed among the living non-related compared to related renal transplant according to social status, age and gender of recipients and donors. Also the motive for organ-donation as well as the recipient's survival was compared between living non-related and related renal transplantation. Results. The proportion of females among renal transplant candidates was significantly lower than among HD-patients. Females were significantly less likely to be recipients, but more likely to be donors of renal allografts, particularly if they were unemployed. Initially all of the living non-related donors claimed to have altruistic motives for organ-donation but gift rewarding, drug abuse, unemployment, and economical deadlock, urgent need of money were significantly frequent than among living related donors. The donation process lasted significantly longer in females and in living non-related donors and there was a trend for higher mortality in recipient of living non-related grafts. Almost all of the living non-related donors disappeared after organ-donation without subsequent follow-up. Conclusions. Females are transplanted less frequently, but donate kidneys more frequently than males in living non-related transplantation programmes. There is an excess of vulnerable people among living nonrelated donors.