Can I still have sex if I have kidney disease? Here is the answer from the director of the Nephrology Department

Popular myth: Many articles on the Internet always link kidneys and sexual function together. For example, some people say that if you have kidney disease, you must not have sex, otherwise it will damage your kidneys and aggravate the kidney disease; others say that if you have kidney disease, your sexual function will be impaired.

Real points:

Sexual function is regulated by sex hormones secreted by the adrenal glands, testicles (males), ovaries (females), etc., and has nothing to do with the kidneys.

Verifier: Li Qing | Director of Nephrology Department, Tianjin University Teda Hospital

There are many junk articles about kidney disease on the Internet. Most of them have one thing in common: they always link kidneys with sexual function. For example, some people say that you must not have sex with kidney disease, otherwise it will damage the kidneys and aggravate the kidney disease; others say that if you have kidney disease, your sexual function will be gone. Can you still have a normal sex life if you have kidney disease? This has become a concern for many kidney patients. Today, a serious expert will tell you the answer: Yes, there is no problem.

1. Sex has nothing to do with kidneys. A healthy and regular sex life will not cause kidney disease.

Many people feel backache and fatigue after sex, and they think they have "kidney deficiency", and then think that sex will affect kidney function. In fact, sex is equivalent to a moderate intensity exercise, and it is normal to feel a little tired after exercise. Excessive fatigue can only be said to be a lack of exercise or a lack of rest, and it does not mean "kidney deficiency".

Sex has nothing to do with kidneys. Sexual function is regulated by sex hormones secreted by the adrenal glands, testicles (males), and ovaries (females), while the endocrine function of the kidneys is to secrete hormones such as renin, erythropoietin, and activated vitamin D. It does not participate in sex-related regulation and does not affect the secretion of sex hormones. In addition to endocrine function, another major function of the kidneys - excretion function - has nothing to do with sex. If there is a connection, it is that men share the same organ, nothing more.

Therefore, sexual life will not affect kidney function, and patients with kidney disease naturally do not have to worry about worsening of the disease or kidney damage.

2. Usually, kidney disease will not reduce sexual ability. Patients need to overcome psychological barriers to have a perfect sex life.

For patients with chronic kidney disease who present with simple hematuria or proteinuria, as well as patients with mild to moderate renal failure, their sexual function will not be significantly affected and they can maintain a normal sexual life.

However, after severe renal failure, the metabolism of sex hormones in men and women will be disrupted, resulting in decreased sexual function. However, severe renal failure is a more serious condition that affects the entire body and thus affects sexual function. Similar organ failures such as heart failure, respiratory failure, and liver failure can also seriously affect sexual function. These extremely special cases cannot be used to prove that these organs are related to sexual function.

In short, except for extremely serious kidney problems such as severe renal failure, kidney disease will not affect sexual function. The traditional concepts such as "bad kidneys mean bad sex" and "sexual intercourse damages kidney function" suggest to kidney patients the wrong ideas and the resulting psychological pressure, which are the culprits that lead to sexual dysfunction in many kidney patients.

Editor of this article: yutonggliu