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Sexual function of adult long-term survivors and their partners after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in Europe (S-FAST): a study from the Transplant Complications Working Party and Nurses Group of the EBMT

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 58, pages 195–202 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Sexual dysfunction after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is a common long-term complication. We conducted a European multicenter cross-sectional study of adult allo-HCT recipients who had survived >2 years and their partners to investigate sexual functioning after HCT and to evaluate whether discussion about sexual functioning between the transplant team and the survivor and partner was perceived to have taken place. In total, 136 survivors (77 males, 59 females) and 81 partners (34 males, 47 females) participated. Median age was 56 and 54 years in male and female survivors, respectively. Forty-seven percent of male and 65% of female survivors and 57% of male and 59% of female partners reported clinically relevant sexual problems. Sixty-two percent of survivors and 79% of partners reported that sexual functioning had not been discussed with them during transplant. Standardized sexual functioning scores were correlated with self-reported health status in survivors (rho = 0.24, p = 0.009). The high prevalence of sexual dysfunction warrants additional studies focusing on the impact of changes in sexuality for patients as well as their partners. Future studies should also investigate which methods that are effective in preventing or treating sexual problems after allo-HCT.

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Fig. 1: Sexual problems and inactivity.
Fig. 2: Agreement on the extent of sexual problems between allo-HCT patients and their partner (on a 5-point scale from “none” to “all the time”).
Fig. 3: Reasons for sexual inactivity.
Fig. 4: Sexual functioning scores.
Fig. 5: Current health status and sexual functioning.

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Data availability

Data are available upon request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Frank Wissing, partner of Andrea Linke, for valuable input to the interpretation and description of the results; the EBMT Patient Advocacy Committee and the EBMT Patient Engagement Taskforce for their collaboration; and the EBMT Nurses Group, the EBMT Transplant Complications Working Party and the EBMT Trainee Committee for their support of the study. This study was funded by the EBMT Nurses Group.

Author information

Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Lars Klingen Gjærde, Corien Eeltink, Hélène Schoemans, John Murray.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Lars Klingen Gjærde

  2. Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Lars Klingen Gjærde

  3. Department of Hematology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Location VUMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Corien Eeltink

  4. The Christie NHS Trust, Manchester, UK

    Jacqui Stringer & John Murray

  5. University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Jacqui Stringer

  6. EBMT Statistical Unit, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Jarl Mooyaart

  7. EBMT Data Office, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Paul Bosman

  8. King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    Michelle Kenyon

  9. Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona, Switzerland

    Sarah Liptrott

  10. Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Diana M. Greenfield

  11. EBMT Patient Advocacy Committee, EBMT Executive Office, Barcelona, Spain

    Andrea Linke

  12. CHU Limoges, Limoges, France

    Pascal Turlure

  13. Azienda USL-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy

    Stefano Botti

  14. University Hospital Center Rebro, Zagreb, Croatia

    Dzenana Dzaferagic

  15. Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy

    Simona Sica

  16. Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy

    Simona Sica

  17. Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow, UK

    Lorna Welsh

  18. Department of Haematology, Oncology and Radiation Physics, Skane University Hospital, Lund, Sweden

    Annika Kisch

  19. Institute of Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Annika Kisch

  20. School of Medicine and University Hospital Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

    Zinaida Perić

  21. Department of Hematology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Hélène Schoemans

  22. Department of Public Health and Primary Care, ACCENT VV, KU Leuven—University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Hélène Schoemans

Authors
  1. Lars Klingen Gjærde
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Contributions

CE was responsible for designing and setting up the study, collecting and interpreting data, and writing the manuscript. LKG was responsible for interpreting data and writing the first draft of the manuscript. JMo was responsible for analyzing and interpreting data and writing the manuscript. PB was responsible for collecting and linking data. DMG, JS and SL were responsible for designing and setting up the study and reviewing the manuscript. MK, PT, SB, DD, SS, LW and AK were responsible for collecting and interpreting data and reviewing the manuscript. ZP, HS and JMu were responsible for supervising the study, interpreting data and writing the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to John Murray.

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Competing interests

AL reports having received personal fees from Novartis and Bristol-Myers Squibb. HS reports having received personal fees from Incyte, Janssen, Novartis, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Takeda, and from the Belgian Hematological Society (BHS), as well as research grants from Novartis and the BH, paid to her institution. She has also received non-financial support from Incyte, Novartis, Gilead, the EBMT (European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation), and the CIBMTR (Center for International Bone Marrow Transplantation Research). JMu reports honorarium from Therakos, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Janssen and Gilead/Kite. None of these potential conflicts of interest are relevant to this project. The rest of the authors declare no competing interests.

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Gjærde, L.K., Eeltink, C., Stringer, J. et al. Sexual function of adult long-term survivors and their partners after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in Europe (S-FAST): a study from the Transplant Complications Working Party and Nurses Group of the EBMT. Bone Marrow Transplant 58, 195–202 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41409-022-01869-2

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