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The impact of solid organ transplantation on sexual dysfunction and infertility in older men and women: A Claims Based Study

International Journal of Impotence Research (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

Solid organ transplantation (SOT) restores organ function and prolongs survival, but its impact on sexual dysfunction and infertility is underexplored. This study evaluated changes in their prevalence before and after transplantation across organ types. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using TriNetX, including 64 932 U.S. adults (≥18 years) who underwent heart, kidney, liver, lung, or pancreas transplants within the past 20 years. Sexual dysfunction (e.g., erectile dysfunction, dyspareunia) and infertility were identified using ICD-10 codes. Pre-post analysis assessed relative and absolute risk reduction (ARR). Analyses were stratified by sex and organ type. SOT was associated with reduced sexual dysfunction (ARR 1.40%, p < 0.001) and infertility (ARR 0.10%, p = 0.013). Males experienced a greater reduction in sexual dysfunction (ARR 2.11%, p < 0.001) than females (ARR 0.20%, p = 0.035). Sexual dysfunction declined following heart (ARR 2.21%, p = 0.001), kidney (ARR 1.42%, p < 0.001), lung (ARR 1.24%, p = 0.042), and liver (ARR 0.74%, p = 0.003) transplants. No difference was seen following pancreas transplantation, and infertility prevalence did not differ across SOT types. These findings suggest SOT may improve sexual health, particularly in men, though effects on infertility remain limited.

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Acknowledgements

No financial assistance was received in support of this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA

    Obinna Obuekwe, Tatyana Yatsenko, Laura Oscar-Thompson, Carlos Riveros & Akhil Muthigi

  2. School of Engineering Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA

    Haley Clark

  3. Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Gal Saffati

Authors
  1. Obinna Obuekwe
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  2. Haley Clark
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  3. Gal Saffati
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  4. Tatyana Yatsenko
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  5. Laura Oscar-Thompson
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  6. Carlos Riveros
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  7. Akhil Muthigi
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Contributions

Obinna Obuekwe, Haley Clark, Gal Saffati, M.D., and Tatyana Yatsenko, M.D., wrote the original draft and played important roles in interpreting the results. Laura Oscar-Thompson, M.D., was responsible for revising the draft and data interpretation. Carlos Riveros, M.D., was responsible for conceptualization, methodology, investigation, data curation, formal analysis, review & editing, and supervision. Akhil Muthigi, M.D., was responsible for conceptualization, validation, review & editing, supervision, and project administration. All authors approve the final version of this manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

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Correspondence to Akhil Muthigi.

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Competing interests

We confirm that there are no conflicts of interest to declare. All authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence this work. This article represents independent research, and we affirm that no external funding or commercial support has been involved in the preparation of this manuscript.

Ethical approval

Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was not required for this study as it involved the analysis of previously collected de-identified data. The dataset contained no personal identifiers, and no link could be made back to individual subjects. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, research using de-identified secondary data that cannot be traced back to individuals is not considered human subjects research and is exempt from IRB review (Common Rule 45 CFR 46.104(d)(4)). Informed consent was waived due to the anonymous nature of the dataset and absence of any interaction with human subjects.

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Obuekwe, O., Clark, H., Saffati, G. et al. The impact of solid organ transplantation on sexual dysfunction and infertility in older men and women: A Claims Based Study. Int J Impot Res (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-025-01127-1

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