The Legalization Of Organs Of The United States

Every day some dies after waiting years on a transplant list. The National Organ Transplant Act of 1984 says that in the United States, the sale of organs is illegal. Some believe this act may be preventing thousands of people from getting the organs that will save their lives. The truth is every day someone dies and their organs could be used to help others and everyday a life of one and the livelihood of another could be saved. The reasons for allowing the sale of organs is very simple to understand. It can help others financially, save money on medical expenses and most importantly, save lives. Critiques believe this would be a mistake causing spur of the moment decisions, and illegal obtain these organs for sale. With the use of regulation, these doubts can be laid to rest. Before the problem can be solved, the problem has to be identified.

There are a lot of people in this world that are going through organ failure. The National Kidney Foundation even found, “Every fourteen minutes someone is added to the kidney transplant list”. Statistically speaking, that is a great deal of people in need of a vital organ. The author Joanna MacKay talks about the need for organ donations in her article “Organ Sales Will Save Lives”. MacKay disputes her case briefly when stating her thesis in the first paragraph. She gives the audience her opinion on how the selling of organs should be built to become legal. Throughout the text she touches on the black market selling of kidneys. She also incorporates how other third world countries have allowed this practice of organ sales. The article includes her insight on what would happen if organ sales would be legalized and how it would be regulated.

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”).

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.

Since the WHO is not, in any way, going to lift the ban, and one of the most efficient ways to increase the supply of available organs for the thousands of people on organ waiting lists is to make some form of donation and selling legal, other options must be sought-after. By combining two opposing viewpoints it is possible for a whole new approach to this rapidly growing problem to transpire, for there may be more agreeable aspects than what meets the eye.

Dying painfully in a hospital bed is not the way anyone wants to go. Unfortunately for many people, it is a reality. Thousands of people a year end up dying while waiting for an organ that could save their lives. While on the other side of the world, thousands of people die a year, but from infection when an organ is forcefully taken from them to sell on the black market. There are two sides of the organ donation list, and both can end in death. This paper will discuss the shortage of donated organs and the issues with the current donation system. It will also discuss the black market for transplant organs and possible solutions to viable organ shortage. The focus of this paper will be on transplant kidneys as they are the most desirable organ for buyers and sellers.

Organ transplantation is a term that most people are familiar with. When a person develops the need for a new organ either due to an accident or disease, they receive a transplant, right? No, that 's not always right. When a person needs a new organ, they usually face a long term struggle that they may never see the end of, at least while they are alive. The demand for transplant organs is a challenging problem that many people are working to solve. Countries all over the world face the organ shortage epidemic, and they all have different laws regarding what can be done to solve it. However, no country has been able to create a successful plan without causing moral and ethical dilemmas.

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

By offering money, more individuals would readily give up their organs. This would lead to a surplus of organs for transplants. However, an increase in the price of organs would limit those who could afford surgeries. Although selling organs benefits the donor, the patients suffer from money concerns in addition to their original medical issues. One item frequently reveals the corruption of society: money. The process of organ transplants should hold the ultimate aim of saving lives, not the selfish bribe of gaining wealth. Other methods, such as providing life or health insurance, would be less materialistic options for encouraging organ donation. Currently, organ donation only offers the donor a personal feeling of well-being. Jennifer Bard discusses the corruption after researching about organ transplants at the Texas Tech University School of Law. Bard analyzes,“... it has so far been prohibited to offer any financial incentive for registering as a donor or to families of individuals who choose to allow donation after death… no solution to the reluctance of Americans to donate can work until this reluctance is taken seriously and the families who choose not to donate organs are listened to with respect” (121-122). Patients face drastic amounts of debt from medical bills. Rather than exchanging money for organs, help should be offered to ailing patients. Authors from the

According to the American Transplant Foundation, more than 120,000 people in the United States are on the waiting list to receive lifesaving organ transplant. Every 10 minutes a new name is added to the transplant waiting list and on average around 20 people die per day due to a lack of organ availability. The never changing high number of demands for organs and high shortage of donors in the United States of America has made a gap between the numbers, therefore a discussion has raised- how to lower this gap. China, for example, has found a solution- they used death-row inmate’s organs for transplant operations. A report from international team, which included human rights lawyers and journalist estimated that 60,00 to 10,000 organs are

Illegal organ sales are on the rise because of the worldwide organ shortage. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that there are over one hundred and nineteen thousand men, women, and children currently waiting on the transplant list, and twenty-two of them die each day waiting for a transplant (Organ, 2015). Many individuals are utilizing the black market as a means to receive an organ for themselves or a loved one because they feel it is the only option. Organ sales should be legal because of the increasing number of illegal activities surrounding the process; transplants will be done in a safe and managed environment, the poor will not be exploited by black market criminal activity, and the number of organs available will

Organs play an important role in the functioning of the human body. We are born with them, and they work throughout our lives to keep us alive and well. Some people aren’t so lucky and may have an organ dysfunction or health issue that requires them to get an organ transplant. In this case, a donor whose tissue cells match the recipient’s must be the one to donate. However, this process could take from a few days to a few years since there are many people on the waiting list. This provokes the controversial topic of legalization of compensation for organs. Bodily products should not be marketable because it is immoral and possibly even dangerous.

Our topic is on organ transplant. We will focus on the process and ethical dilemmas surrounding it. Our group chose this topic because we care and understand that this can happen to our love ones. We want to raise our concern about this worldwide issue, and where the black market for organs come into play. The stakeholders include the people (donors or receivers), doctors, government, businesses, and experts. We will be focusing on the culture and the ethical issues that related to organ transplant, conflict of interests, ethics in the design phases, debt/ financing, and regulation. Since our topic is quite detailed, we will start with what is the precise definition of “brain death” in a heart beating body that is kept

Knowing the rate of supply and demand of organ donation helps in establishing a clear background about the issue. For instance, Monti (2009) explained the reality of supply and demand of kidneys. The supply of this organ coming from deceased and altruistic donors are not enough to support the demand of those individuals who are in need. Approximately there are 73,000 people who wait for kidney donations and 18 of those who are in the wait list will die by tomorrow. Accordingly, the list is being added by 6,000 individuals every year. An individual has to wait for five years before he/she can get an organ donation. The facts and figures presented by Monti shows that there is a big gap between the supply and demand of organ donations . The Center for Bioethics (2004) gave supplementary details on the issue of organ shortage. In their article “ethics of organ transplantation” they said that United Network for Organ Sharing or UNOS keeps a comprehensive figure on the present status of people who need organ transplants and presently there more than

Transplanting organs is a modern-day miracle that has saved and prolonged the lives of millions of patients worldwide. Clinical advances as well as acts of generosity have given hope to so many, while also enabling major ethical issues that ensue due to corruption of the practices whilst the process is being exploited. There have been countless incidents where dying transplant patients have travelled abroad for many organ transplantation methods available through illegal means. A study published in the American Journal of Transplantation observed an increase in the number of individuals who sought and acquired a transplant abroad after being removed from the United States transplant wait list for the time span it was researched from 2001-2005 (Charnow). There are many opinions that fluctuate involving the ethical conditions of seeking alternatives. Understandably, the Americans observed in the study chose to seek alternatives abroad for their personal survival measures and cannot be faulted ethically for their choices. Ethical matters come into question through the means in which organs are purchased in nations lacking in regulations because of the contributions to exploiting the economic underclass for financial assistance. Both parties are desperate, and adequate consideration to potential consequences are not considered. The organs the patients seek are made available through illegal trafficking, distribution, and transplantation