Sexual aspects of liver transplant candidates and recipients: evidence available in the literature1.
Jennifer Tatisa Jubileu Magro, Karina Dal Sasso Mendes, Cristina Maria Galvão
PMID 30183871WHAT IT FOUND
Liver transplant candidates and recipients often experience sexual dysfunction, including erectile dysfunction in men and amenorrhea or dyspareunia in women.
Transplantation may improve hormonal profiles, but full recovery of sexual function is not guaranteed and can take up to eighteen months. Contraceptive counseling is frequently inadequate.
Key findings
01Men commonly experience erectile dysfunction, loss of libido, premature ejaculation and oligospermia, while women may suffer from ovarian dysfunction, amenorrhea, decreased libido and infertility.
02Transplantation can improve hormonal perturbations and sexual function, but recovery is not universal; when improvement occurs, it may take up to eighteen months and remains lower than in the general population.
03Contraceptive counseling for transplant recipients is often deficient and poorly timed, with conflicting evidence on the safety of intrauterine devices due to immunosuppression risks.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review included only 16 primary studies. Most included studies (14 of 16) were classified as level IV evidence (single qualitative or descriptive studies), indicating a lack of robust quantitative data. No studies were found in the LILACS database, suggesting a gap in Latin American and Caribbean research. The review covers a 10-year period, and clinical guidelines may have evolved since the publication of the included studies.
Declared interests
The text does not specify funding sources or author conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that liver transplantation reliably restores full sexual function or fertility. The evidence is mixed and largely based on low-quality studies, and recovery varies significantly between individuals. Additionally, do not provide definitive advice on intrauterine devices without consulting current specialist guidelines, as the literature presents conflicting views on their safety in immunosuppressed patients.