Gender disparities in transplantation.

Area of Science:

• Transplantation medicine
• Health equity
• Organ transplantation disparities

Background:

• Equitable access to transplantation (ATT) is vital for end-organ failure patients.
• Persistent gender/sex-based disparities in ATT have been recognized for over two decades.
• No legislation or policy has effectively addressed the inequity in ATT disproportionately affecting women.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a background on end-stage liver and kidney disease in women.
• To summarize existing literature on gender disparity in ATT.
• To identify potential interventions and future research areas for improving ATT for women.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of gender disparities in organ transplantation.
• Analysis of the impact of allocation systems on ATT.
• Identification of systemic barriers and potential solutions.

Main Results:

• The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) system, implemented in 2002, widened the gender disparity gap in liver allocation.
• Women with kidney disease are less likely to be referred for evaluation and to receive a kidney transplant.
• Women constitute the majority of living kidney donors, highlighting a potential area of inequity.

Conclusions:

• Acknowledging gender/sex-based disparities in ATT is the critical first step toward mitigation.
• Systemic interventions are needed to address the long-standing injustice in healthcare access for women.
• Further research is essential to develop and implement effective strategies for equitable ATT.