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Awareness of organ donation among people living with HIV in Canada: a cross-sectional study
Julia Nicholds1, Michael Dans1, Jonathan B Angel1,2
1Inflammation and Chronic Disease Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada.
Insights
Most Canadians living with HIV are unaware of their options for organ donation. Increasing awareness through regular HIV care can improve organ donor registration rates and reduce stigma.
Area of Science:
- Medical research
- Public health
- Transplantation science
Background:
- Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has improved life expectancy for people with HIV, shifting focus to chronic condition management.
- Organ donation by people with HIV is a potential solution to transplant shortages.
- Canadian policy permits organ donation from people with HIV under specific circumstances, but awareness is unassessed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess awareness of organ donation options among people living with HIV in Canada.
- To explore the relationship between awareness and organ donor registration.
- To identify potential strategies for improving organ donation knowledge in this population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey of 200 people living with HIV at a single Canadian clinic.
- Questionnaires assessed awareness of organ donation for transplantation, education, and research.
- Chi-square tests analyzed associations between participant characteristics and donation knowledge.
Main Results:
- Only 20.6% knew about organ donation for transplantation, 39.0% for education, and 32.8% for research.
- Awareness of transplantation donation correlated with higher donor registration rates (20.5% vs. 7.4%).
Conclusions:
- A significant lack of awareness regarding organ and tissue donation exists among Canadians with HIV.
- Awareness is crucial for organ donor registration; information should be integrated into routine HIV care.
- Improved communication can increase donation opportunities, address misconceptions, and reduce HIV-related stigma.
Background:
Advancements in antiretroviral therapy (ART) have significantly increased the life expectancy of people living with HIV, shifting the clinical focus from AIDS-related complications to the management of chronic conditions common in aging populations. Organ donation by people living with HIV has emerged as a promising option to address the growing need for transplants among this population. Although Canadian policies have permitted this practice under 'exceptional medical circumstances' for almost a decade, no Canadian studies have assessed how aware people living with HIV are of this.
Methods:
A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 200 people living with HIV attending a single HIV clinic in Ottawa, Canada. Participants completed a questionnaire featuring 10 close-ended questions assessing awareness of organ donation options (transplant, education, research) and five demographic and HIV status questions at the end. Additional sociodemographic and clinical data were gathered via chart review, and chi-square tests were used to analyse the associations between participants' characteristics and their knowledge of organ donation.
Results:
Only 20.6% (n = 41) of respondents were aware that people living with HIV could donate organs for transplantation, 39.0% (n = 78) knew of the possibility of donation for educational purposes, and 32.8% (n = 65) recognized their ability to donate for research purposes. Awareness was strongly correlated with the likelihood of being registered as an organ donor: 20.5% of those who knew about the transplantation option were registered donors, versus 7.4% of those who were unaware.
Conclusions:
Our findings revealed a general lack of awareness among Canadians with HIV of the possibilities of post-mortem organ and tissue donation. Since awareness is a key determinant of registration, future efforts should be made to include accurate and up-to-date information on organ donation from people living with HIV in regular HIV care. By ensuring frequent and transparent communication, we open the door to new opportunities for transplantation while also addressing misconceptions and reducing the stigma surrounding HIV care.
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