캘리포니아 듀아르테에 위치한 희망의도시암연구병원에서 진행된 연구에 따르면 줄기세포이식을 받은 환자들은 성욕과 성기능이 급감한다는 연구결과를 의학잡지 ‘블러드’에 발표했다고 메디컬뉴스투데이는 보도했다.
줄기세포이식은 혈액암을 치료하는데 자주 쓰이는 치료법으로 백혈병, 림프종, 골수종 환자들에게 쓰이고 있다.
연구에 따르면 이식거부반응의 일종으로 이식 받은 줄기세포를 환자의 면역체계가 배제하려고 하는 과정에서 성기능이 떨어지는 것으로 보인다고 말했다.
연구에 포함된 인원은 모두 2001년부터 2005년 사이에 줄기세포이식을 받은 환자들로서 남자 152명과 여자 125명이었다. 참가자들은 이식수술 17일 전과 이식수술 후 6, 12, 24, 36개월이 된 시점마다 3개의 설문조사에 답했다. 이중 2개의 설문조사는 성적 인지, 성적 흥분, 성행동, 오르가즘과 성관계에 초점을 맞춘 질문표였다.
장기간에 걸친 연구결과에 따르면 반 이상의 생존하고 있는 참가자들은 이식수술 후 3년간은 성적불구로 살았으며 아팠을 당시에 비교했을 때보다는 높아진 성생활 지수를 보이나 이는 환자들의 삶의 질이 높아진 것과 관계가 있을 것이라고 연구진은 밝혔다.
일반인과 비교했을 때는 높은 수치가 아니므로 줄기세포이식 후에는 성생활에 대해 의사와 상담할 것을 연구진은 권고했다.
(코리아헤럴드 하지원 인턴기자 jiwonha@heraldcorp.com)
<관련 영문 기사>
Decreased sex drive after stem cell transplants: study
Stem cell transplants could be a cause of decreased sexual health, according to a study.
Medical News Today reported on a study published in the journal Blood, conducted by City of Hope Cancer Research Hospital in Duarte, California.
Stem cell transplantation is commonly used to treat blood cancers, namely, leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
The study involved 152 men and 125 women who had stem cell transplants between 2001 and 2005. The participants answered three questionnaires 17 days before the stem cell transplantation procedure, and six, 12, 24 and 36 months after the procedure.
The questionnaires asked about participants’ sexual thoughts or fantasies, sexual arousal, sexual behavior or experiences, orgasms, sex drive and relationships.
The results revealed that almost half of the survivors of the transplants experienced sexual inactivity for at least three years prior to their procedures.
The researchers stated that the slight increase in sex drive and improvement in relationships may be related to the much-improved quality of life of the patients after the procedures. Hence, these patients may benefit from talking to doctors regarding their sexual health.
By Ha Ji-won, Intern reporter (jiwonha@heraldcorp.com)
Decreased sex drive after stem cell transplants: study
Stem cell transplants could be a cause of decreased sexual health, according to a study.
Medical News Today reported on a study published in the journal Blood, conducted by City of Hope Cancer Research Hospital in Duarte, California.
Stem cell transplantation is commonly used to treat blood cancers, namely, leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
The study involved 152 men and 125 women who had stem cell transplants between 2001 and 2005. The participants answered three questionnaires 17 days before the stem cell transplantation procedure, and six, 12, 24 and 36 months after the procedure.
The questionnaires asked about participants’ sexual thoughts or fantasies, sexual arousal, sexual behavior or experiences, orgasms, sex drive and relationships.
The results revealed that almost half of the survivors of the transplants experienced sexual inactivity for at least three years prior to their procedures.
The researchers stated that the slight increase in sex drive and improvement in relationships may be related to the much-improved quality of life of the patients after the procedures. Hence, these patients may benefit from talking to doctors regarding their sexual health.
By Ha Ji-won, Intern reporter (jiwonha@heraldcorp.com)