9th World Marrow Day: Where are the men?
Published on 1 September 2023
On the occasion of the 9th World Day for Bone Marrow Donation, to be held on September 16, the Agence de la biomédecine (French Biomedicine Agency) is questioning the very low proportion of men who are willing to help patients waiting for bone marrow transplants. In June 2023, only 35% of men were newly registered on the voluntary donor register, compared with 65% of women, a figure that is far from sufficient, given that men account for around 70% of the donors harvested each year.
A subject that doesn't resonate with male profiles
This public health issue relies heavily on the generosity of men - their biological profiles make it much easier for them to take on transplants - yet they too often fail to answer the call. Today, registrations on the register reveal a strong male under-mobilization for the cause. "We've been fighting the same battle for years: encouraging men to join the bone marrow donor registry. Today, we have the impression that our efforts are not sufficiently echoed. And yet, if we want to give all patients the best possible chance of recovery, it's imperative that more male donors get involved. The number of registrations from young men is increasing very slowly, and we can't understand why," explains Dr Catherine Faucher, Director of HSC Procurement and Transplantation at the Agence de la biomédecine.
The Agence de la biomédecine notes that female profiles register throughout the year. What are the obstacles preventing men from getting involved? Although there are no studies on this point, we have observed in the field that men have more questions about the procedures involved in taking a donation. That's why we need to implement specific educational programs for this audience. As a reminder, blood sampling is used in 80% of cases.
Nevertheless, men are essential if we are to continue to cure patients suffering from certain serious blood diseases such as leukemia. In fact, transplant doctors have found that a transplant using bone marrow cells from a male donor significantly optimizes the chances of a successful outcome. This is due to immunological factors: the antibodies naturally developed by women during pregnancy (even if not carried to term) complicate the post-transplant process for patients. As these antibodies are absent in men, the risk of complications is reduced, which is why these profiles are the most sought-after.
It's time to reverse the trend, as Antoine, 34, from Nantes, France, who has been on the register since 2008 and donated his bone marrow, explains: " There was no doubt about the benefit/risk balance of my donation. The stakes are vital for a sick person, whereas for the donor, it's just a handful of hours of his life. I think about my donation from time to time, and I hope it worked out as well as the person in front of me could have hoped and needed."
De-mobilization of men outside campaign periods
The Agence de la biomédecine's objective for 2023 is to target men aged 18 to 35, representative of diversity, as a priority, in order to encourage them to find out more about bone marrow donation and register online. To achieve this, the Agence de la biomédecine launched an ultra-targeted communication campaign on social networks aimed at male profiles, which bore fruit with a doubling in the proportion of men initiating the registration process. "But as soon as the first wave of this campaign ended, we observed a clear decline in male registrations, while women continued to mobilize. This is a difference we need to remedy by alerting people today to the urgent need for male donors", explains Dr. Faucher.
With this in mind, the Agence de la biomédecine is planning a new wave of communications from the end of the summer onwards, to inform people about donation and recruit new donors: the online broadcast of its campaign film, street marketing and the broadcast of an audio spot aimed at profiles from diverse backgrounds, as well as an influencer campaign on Twitch. With this campaign, the Agence de la biomédecine hopes to engage young men in conversation, so that they will identify with the cause and join the ranks of volunteer donors.
To join the registry, 3 conditions must be met:
- Be in perfect health
- Be between the ages of 18 and 35
- Complete a medical questionnaire and take a biological sample (salivary sample or blood test on final registration) to determine the future donor's biological identity card or HLA typing.
This biological identity card is then entered, completely anonymously, into the register of voluntary bone marrow donors, which is responsible for constantly searching for donors compatible with patients for whom a transplant has been indicated.
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