For reasons that are not entirely clear, women in the United States are much less likely to receive a kidney transplant than men. Women also wait an average of four months longer for a kidney transplant. However, chronic renal disease is not the only illness for which women find themselves at a disadvantage. The diagnosis and treatment of many life-threatening diseases in American women lag behind those in the male population. Are women really the weaker sex, or are there other factors affecting women's health?

To answer that question, Debbie Morgan, L.C.S.W., Director of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System Transplant Division, took a careful look at current research documenting the health of American women. Her exploration uncovered a shocking record for women's health care in general. "It appears that gender bias in health care exists on many levels, from who gets referred and for what kinds of treatments, to access to specialized care," says Ms. Morgan. "Gender bias crosses a wide array of health issues, including heart disease, cancer, HIV, substance abuse, and mental illness. In particular, African American and older women are most affected by these influences."

Access to Health Care Differs

Naturally, there are underlying biological and psychosocial differences in the sexes. Men and women seek health care differently and the approach of male and female physicians can be colored by their gender, explains Ms. Morgan. For example, women are 25 percent more likely to visit their doctor than men and they tend to consult with a physician earlier for a specific complaint. Female physicians tend to spend more time with their patients and are more likely to order preventative and screening tests.

"It is well documented that men are more likely to receive treatment for heart disease, and women are more likely to receive treatment for psychosomatic disease when they complain of the same cardiac symptoms," reports Ms. Morgan. The trend is the same for cancer and HIV treatment. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women, yet women are 50 percent less likely to be referred for tests that detect lung cancer. Likewise, women with HIV are less likely to receive the best available treatment.

One of the biggest reasons women across the United States are not getting the same care as men is that women have less access to health care overall. They are more likely to be under- or uninsured. Women more commonly work part-time or in jobs that don't provide insurance. Adding to the problem is the fact that insurance companies are now limiting access to specialized care, including transplantation. Many health insurance companies do not cover the costs of transplant surgery or the medications necessary after organ transplantation.

Women receive fewer living donated kidneys than men, although as a group, they are 28 percent more likely to make a living kidney donation. Women often wait longer for an organ because they produce additional antibodies during pregnancy that make it harder to find a compatible match under the current guidelines used by the national organ procurement agency.

"The fact is that fewer women seek the transplant alternative," says Ms. Morgan. "They are concerned about who will care for the family during their recovery. Many fear surgery; others reject transplantation due to concerns about side effects of the medications. Others are anxious about disrupting their lives and the dialysis routine they have learned to live with, not realizing they can have a better quality of life."

Striving For a Balance at Saint Barnabas

At the Saint Barnabas Renal Transplant Centers, the data reveals that of the more than 2,100 kidney transplants performed since 1973, 39 percent of the recipients were female and 61 percent were male. The transplant team has dedicated itself to finding the reasons for this disparity and bringing more gender balance to kidney transplantation.

In the meantime, Ms. Morgan strongly suggests that women educate themselves about their health condition and talk candidly with their physicians.

For more information about the Saint Barnabas Health Care System Renal Transplant Centers, please call 1-888-409-4707.