Department of Nephrology, Consorci Hospitalari de Vic, Vic, Catalunya, Spain.
Research group on Methodology, Methods, Models and Outcomes of Health and Social Sciences (M3O), Faculty of Health Science and Welfare, Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVIC-UCC), Vic, Spain.
BMC Nephrol. 2021 Feb 16;22(1):59. doi: 10.1186/s12882-021-02262-9.
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.
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.
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.
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.
在慢性肾衰竭患者中，活体供肾移植是最佳治疗选择。全球数据显示，女性成为肾移植受者的可能性低于男性，但成为活体肾供者的可能性高于男性。我们探讨了与亲属具有生物学和社会文化联系的女性捐赠者的经历，并了解她们经历的相似之处和不同之处。
这是一项定性解释学现象学研究，对性别进行了交叉分析。共有 10 名在移植评估期内被接受的女性捐赠者参与了研究，她们都向接受透析前的亲属捐赠了一个肾脏。包括两个类别：与肾脏受者有生物学亲缘关系的女性（母亲、姐妹）和与肾脏受者有社会文化关系的女性（妻子）。通过半结构化深入访谈收集数据，并使用主题分析进行分析。
女性以一种坚定的方式捐赠肾脏，不担心自己的健康，态度乐观积极，不认为自己是在英勇行为。具有生物学亲缘关系的女性将其视为“自然而然的事情”。相比之下，妻子的捐赠是有条件的，受到性别角色的影响，但也是一种赋权形式和个人利益：她们捐赠是为了避免承担照顾丈夫的角色，也是保护孩子的一种方式。
该研究的结果扩展了对肾脏捐赠纯粹是利他主义的概念，并可能有助于专业人员关注活体肾供者女性的特征的复杂性和交叉性。
