Issues and Inequalities in Organ Donation

About.com - Patient Empowerment

(Are you on the waiting list for an organ? Or have you received an organ transplant? What works (or worked) well for you - or what didn't? What advice do you have for others? Please see the link at the bottom of this page - and share your story with us.)

The act of donating one's organs to another human being who desperately needs an organ to survive, or to improve his or her quality of life, seems like one of the most magnanimous decisions a human being can make. Whether you choose to donate upon your death, or even, for some organs and tissues, while you are still living, it is a generous decision.

But, like any major decision, it's one we need to make with our eyes wide open, understanding the benefits and detriments to ourselves, the people we will donate to, and the system itself. Because, while the concept of organ donation is steeped in altruism, the reality of how decisions are made about who receives those organs, and under what circumstances may not be what you expect.

Here are some of the issues that surround organ donation, why they may be problematic, and how those issues may affect you as a potential donor or receiver of a transplanted organ.

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{Register to be an organ,eye and tissue donor. To learn how, www.donatelife.net or www.organdonor.gov}