The Effect of Renal Transplantation for End-Stage Renal Disease on Female Sexual Function and Depression Elife Kettas ¸, MSc,* Filiz Çayan, MD, † Ozan Efesoy, MD,* Erdem Akbay, MD,* and Selahittin Çayan, MD* *Departments of Urology, University of Mersin School of Medicine, Mersin, Turkey; † Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Mersin School of Medicine, Mersin, Turkey DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01670.x ABSTRACT Introduction. Studies have suggested that women with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) had higher risk of sexual dysfunction than healthy women. Aims. To prospectively determine the effect of renal transplantation for ESRD on female sexual function and depression. Methods. During a 5-year period, the study included 21 sexually active women who underwent renal transplantation for ESRD at a single university hospital. After obtaining demographic characteristics, female sexual function was evaluated with a detailed 19-item questionnaire (The Female Sexual Function Index, FSFI), and depression was assessed using Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scale. Main Outcome Measures. In all women, FSFI and BDI scores were compared before and after the renal transplan- tation surgery. Results. The mean age of the women was 35.04  9.6 years, and mean follow-up duration after renal transplantation was 27.5  20.4 months. Mean total sexual function score increased from 17.57  7.07 to 25.3  3.28, revealing significant difference (P = 0.001). Compared with preoperative period, sexual function domains including sexual desire (P = 0.001), arousal (P = 0.001), lubrication (P = 0.003), orgasm (P = 0.001), satisfaction (P = 0.001), and pain (P = 0.02) significantly improved after renal transplantation. Mean BDI score significantly decreased from 17.91  8.56 to 3  4.17 after renal transplantation (P = 0.001). Conclusions. Successful renal transplantation may improve female sexual functions and depression. Therefore, life quality increases as sexual functions and depression improve after the renal transplantation surgery. Kettas ¸ E, Çayan F, Efesoy O, Akbay E, and Çayan S. The effect of renal transplantation for end-stage renal disease on female sexual function and depression. J Sex Med 2010;7:3963–3968. Key Words. End Stage Renal Disease; Dialysis; Transplantation; Female Sexual Function; Depression Introduction S exual functions in women may be affected by endocrine-hormonal, neurological, and psy- chological disorders, trauma, particularly gyneco- logic and pelvic surgical procedures, and chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and a variety of medications [1–4]. Chronic renal failure is an important chronic illness for the development of sexual dysfunction in women and men. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a serious illness that has severe negative effects on patients’ lives and quality of life. The treatment of ESRD includes medications and long-term hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis that can cause many physiological and psychological changes. Consequently, ESRD has a negative effect on the level of sexual health [5–7]. Patients undergoing dialysis experience prob- lems with disease-specific symptoms. The combi- nation of a decrease in energy, the unavoidable emergence of socioeconomic problems, and emotional reactions compounds the stress facing the patient. The life of a dialysis patient may 3963 © 2010 International Society for Sexual Medicine J Sex Med 2010;7:3963–3968