Essay about The Illegal Body Parts Trade

It was only a matter of time before a businessman in Virginia saw a way to profit from the success of transplantation. In 1983 H. Barry Jacobs announced the opening of a new exchange through which competent adults could buy and sell organs. His failing was in his decision to use needy immigrants as the source of the organs (Pence 36). As a result Congress, passed the National Organ Transplant Act (Public Law 98-507) in 1984, which prohibited the sale of human organs and violators would be subjected to fines and imprisonment (“Donation Details”).

Many of those who choose to sell their organ is either forced or manipulated by wealth. It is more likely for a poorer citizen from a developing country to be willing to supply n organ for a member of the upper class or for someone who can afford it, either through directly or through a broker. Brokers will do what every it takes to get what is being demanded. Some of the donors involved in organ trafficking are victims of body snatching or involuntary organ donations. Brokers will have the individual drugged and their organ removed without their consent to the procedure, they are also known for kidnaping poor and take whatever organ they desire and leave them there for dead. “Although estimates of trafficked persons are in their millions relatively few are identified” (Steinfall, T.M and Weitzer, R., 2011). Today brokers work with hospital staffs to locate poverty-stricken individuals to sell their organs for money. Some doctors often target children of poor countries in sell their organ in the black-market. In spite of its awareness, trafficking is still increasing. Trafficking a human organ is a growing profitable enterprise much like the unauthorized markets for weapons, humans, and drugs. Without the enforcement of laws against organ trafficking it is easier for an organ trafficker to buy and sell human organ increasing criminal

Thousands of people in the United States are dying each year because of a failed kidney, and have no chance to receive one. In “Organ Sales Will Save Lives” by MIT student, Joanna MacKay argues against banning the sale of organs, but instead recommends legalizing and regulating the trade of human organs in order to try and save people’s lives. MacKay reports that in America alone, approximately 350,000 people struggle each year with kidney failure. Since there is no cure, and buying kidneys is currently illegal, this leads the person to search for other options that usually result in purchasing organs on the black market. MacKay states that a black market purchase allows the recipient to buy a fresh, healthy organ from a living donor without the agonizing process of waiting on a list (157-158). MacKay believes that both the recipient and donor would benefit in the legalization and regulation process and if this comes to pass, more organs would be made available for transplant and many people would get the chance to live another day.

There are 112 thousand people on the organ transplant list and 22 people die every day because they cannot find a match ("Organ Donation Statistics", 2017). In 1984, under the National Organ Transplant Act, America outlawed the buying and selling of organs. If caught selling organs illegally, those involved shall be fined not more than $50,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both (Prohibition of Organ Purchases, 2011). With organizations like Planned Parenthood selling the body parts of aborted fetuses, the compensation of organs has been compared to prostitution. (Gebelhoff, 2015). If organ donors begin being compensated for their gifts of life, the Black Market organ trafficking will increase due to supply and demand of organs which in return creates a higher victim rate related to the black market. Offering money for organs can be viewed as an attempt to coerce economically disadvantaged Americans to participate in organ donation even though these groups of people have been shown to be less likely to be candidates, monetary incentives for organs could be characterized as exploitation (National Kidney Foundation, 2003). The Compensation of organ donation is unethical due to the acts by organizations such as Planned Parenthood, black market increases along with acts of cruelty towards unexpecting victims, and the increase in costs to perform the transplants.

More than 110,000 people are on waiting lists for organs they may not ever get in time (mantel). This has caused an organ black market in which people are trading their or other individuals’ organs for illegal money. In case making criminals out of normal people. In 2009, the FBI arrested a Brooklyn rabbi for illegal organ trade, he was buying organs from overseas for a mere ten thousand dollars and selling here in the black market for upwards of one hundred sixty thousand (Krauthammer). An organ trade of some sort needs to become legal and people need chances to be compensated for their organs. Also with the market becoming legal, patients will be in better hands pre-operation and post-operation.

In “Organ Sales Save Lives”, the author argues for the legalization and regulation of selling human organs, specifically kidneys, to those who need them. Her reasoning is that the laws forbidding this practice have enabled a black market that is harmful to both buyer and seller of organs. MacKay states that with no legally enforceable contracts and dubious procedural standards both parties in these transactions expose themselves to unnecessary risk. She claims that buyers can wait up to 10 years before receiving a kidney, with many dying before then, and sellers often do not receive fair compensation. MacKay believes that we do not have the moral right to try to stop those who live in abject poverty from selling a part of their own body to

With the increasing need of organs for medical treatment, illegal organ black markets have become more rampant. Under such circumstances, the public debate over whether the government should legalize the sale of living human organs is fiercer. In Joanna MacKay’s essay Organ Sales Will Save Lives, she states that the government should legalize the sale of organs, since the legalization would benefit both the sellers and the buyers. Moreover, to show the potential benefits for the sellers, MacKay provides and analyzes gains from different aspects that sellers may make if the organ sale were legalized. However, what MacKay has shown is still not the whole picture. By simplifying the problems, MacKay overstates the monetary compensation for the organ sale and underestimates the possible role of exploitation, risks to organ sellers and other ethical questions. As a result, the sellers would not benefit as much as she states, and her argument about the bilateral reciprocal consequences for both organ sellers and buyers after legalization would be incomplete.

India, China and Indonesia are just a few of the countries with documented cases. One would ask, why would someone want to traffic organs? The answer is simple, the demand for organs is extremely high. There are hundreds of thousandths of men, women and children that are or organ donor lists areound the world. Desperate times call for desperate measures and people are willing to pay top dollar or these organs, especially if it means they can bypass that list altogether. Trafficking for organs is actually broken down into three categories. There are instances where the victim is forced or tricked into giving up and organ. There are also cases where the person may be treated for an ailment, whether true or not, and unbeknownst to them and organ is removed. And lastly, the victim may have agreed to give an organ for payment but the end result is them giving up an organ and not being compensated. Groups targeted are mainly homeless and illiterate persons that are vulnerable. Kidneys and livers are amongst the most commonly sought after organs but any organ can be subject to illegal removal and trade. In 2013, a Georgia teen died at school and his death was quickly assumed to be an accident by the local authorities. The teen’s parents however, we not convinced. After the young man’s body was exhumed and an autopsy performed, it was found that his body had been stuffed with newspaper. The boy’s brain, heart and lungs had all been removed and his death was actually caused by blunt force trauma. The reality of organ trafficking is not only scary but often times

By applying financial incentives to organ donation, we get rid of an extremely risky black market system that endangers the lives of thousands of transplants and donors. With the elimination of the black market through the application of financial incentives, a reliable organ donation system is created. People are more likely to give their organs in a regulated, reliable organ market. Michelle Goodwin, Everett Law Professor, further states, “Beyond increasing the supply of organs, incentives for organ sharing will likely benefit society in several meaningful ways. First, there is an incentive to avoid buying organs on the black market. Black market organ shopping has the advantage of a reduced wait time but exposes the purchasers and sellers to numerous health and social risks. Too many variables remain irresolvable; the sellers ' health histories cannot be confirmed, unfavorable past social conduct is unlikely to be disclosed, and there is no medical follow-up. Nor can the purchaser be sure that the seller is a voluntary participant in the transplant transaction.” (Goodwin 11) Greater reliability in a safer, legal market will inspire greater confidence, trust, and respect for the organ system and lead to many more organs donated and many more lives saved than our current systems.

Advancements in medicine are constantly offer new ways to prolong the lives of human beings. One of these important developments is organ transplantation, which has allowed people to trade out worn out organs for better parts. This idea seems ideal and offers a new lease on life for those in need. However, the regulation and distribution of organs has led to darker reality. Organs are in high demand with thousands of people on waiting list, with not nearly enough organs available. This shortage has leed to the trafficking of organs and although this is illegal the moral implications of selling body parts comes into question. R.R. Kishore possess a very interesting argument in defense of the

There is a well-established industry for the buying and selling of organs to those who are in dire need of a transplant, both legally and illegally, in many different countries. The legalization of the sale of organs in the United States would have serious consequences and raises many ethical dilemmas- regardless of religious beliefs. There are several ideas presented in this paper that present the issues that have hindered the progression of the legalization of organs. Currently, there is an organ waiting list of 123,897 patients on the organ recipient list ,the number of transplant that have actually occurred in January - August 2014 are 19,426 (Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network). There is no denying that there is a significant gap between the number of transplant surgeries performed and those awaiting a donor. The ever growing need for these lifesaving organs is clear, but to allow human beings to sell parts of their body is not the solution to this complex problem.

According to the national organ transplant act 1984 (NOTA), human organ sales are prohibited, although the black market says otherwise. The black market is an illicit selling cite in which involves the process of selling/purchasing of goods in violation of the law. About/almost more than 10% of the black market sells human organs. Although this is an illegal offence most people will do anything for an extended life. The waiting time for a new organ is very long, in Australia there are about 1,400 people on the waiting list at any time, in the USA according to the U.S department of health and human services every 10 minutes someone is added to the waiting list, but with those in serious need of an organ/desperate for an organ they will look to buy an organ off the black market. The black market can also benefit those in need of money, they can sell their organ, and approximately the average organ is worth more than $100,000. This process is both illegal and dangerous. Even when transplanting an organ in a proper hospital is risky let alone doing it through the black market. People from many countries take place in this trade and researchers say that China is involved in the highest rates of illegal organ trade in the world; this gives a reason why the waiting times for organs in China are so short.

Organ donation is a wonderful idea to fulfil a critical need. Unfortunately 120,000 (American Transplant Foundation, 2017). This massive deficit resulted in 7,464 deaths back in 2005 alone(Pomfret, et

The legalization of organ sales has been proposed as a solution to two distinct problems. The first is the problem of illegal organ trafficking and the second is the problem of inadequate supplies of organs available for transplants. Gregory (2011) outlined the case for legalizing organ sales by arguing that the current shortage of organs fuels a black market trade that benefits nobody except criminals. He further argues that such a move would add organs to the market, thereby saving the lives of those who would otherwise die without a transplant, while delivering fair value to the person donating the organ. There are a number of problems with the view that legalizing the organ trade is beneficial. Such a move would exacerbate negative health outcomes for the poor, strengthening inequality, but such a move would also violate any reasonable standard of ethics, by inherently placing a price on one's life and health. This paper will expand on these points and make the case that we should not allow people to pay for organs.

In the United States, there are over one hundred thousand people on the waiting list to receive a life-saving organ donation, yet only one out of four will ever receive that precious gift (Statistics & Facts, n.d.). The demand for organ donation has consistently exceeded supply, and the gap between the number of recipients on the waiting list and the number of donors has increased by 110% in the last ten years (O'Reilly, 2009). As a result, some propose radical new ideas to meet these demands, including the selling of human organs. Financial compensation for organs, which is illegal in the United States, is considered repugnant to many. The solution to this ethical dilemma isn’t found in a wallet; there are other alternatives available