Organ Donation Research Paper

Words: 1068
Pages: 5

In the United States alone, there are more than 115,000 people on the list awaiting a lifesaving organ donation. "On average twenty people die daily from the lack of available organs, eleven-hundred of these individuals waiting on the list are children." One organ donor can save eight lives.Every ten minutes someone is added to the organ transplant list. Unfortunately, there just are not enough organs to go around. While waiting many people often become to sick to receive a transplant. Many people think more lives could be saved if more people would become donors, this could be achieved by better educating the public on the importance of organ donations. But, "despite decades and decades of public education about the virtues of organ donating …show more content…
Even though, currently compensation for organ donations is illegal makes people wonder if this should be considered a real possibility. According to the Oxford English Dictionary donation is defined as "the action or faculty of giving or presenting; presentation, bestowal, or grant." The OED also defines donation as "The action or contract by which a person transfers the ownership of a thing from himself to another, as a free gift." Policies in the US need to be changed in order to allow organs to be automatically donated when they die(opt-in). Organ donors should be compensated financially, to increase the number of available organs, by eliminating the barbaric act of organs being sold on the black market illegally, and the ethical issues that surround compensation for organ …show more content…
Many argue that any form of financial compensation should not be allowed. On the other hand, some believe that compensation should be based on purpose and intent. But, the amount of compensation would not be based on demand but solely based on what is enough to cover the cost of potential health consequences and expenses accumulated for time off work. Doing this would decrease some of the ethical concerns for compensation.If compensation for organ donations are made many believe that the poor people will be exploited, for their organs to possibly provide to the rich. You would also have poor individuals looking to willingly donate organs to gain money to get themselves out of financial tight spots. Studies have shown that offering money for organ donations does not prey on the poor. In fact, it shows that individuals in the lower income category are more likely to willingly participate in living donations not matter what type of incentive is attached. Since many people lose their life while waiting on the donor list this leads people to believes that the current laws in place surrounding organ donations needs to be reevaluated. But, perhaps the biggest issue is the thought of a physician is putting the life of a healthy person in jeopardy to save or improve the life of someone else. With donations directed towards loved ones and /or friends many people worry about the extreme pressure that is often placed on the