How do you feel about "Organ Trading"?

Asked by shrubbery (10326

) September 17th, 2008

I realise that this is an Australian article, but take a read, it could apply elsewhere.

A couple of pivotal quotes:

“At first glance, compensation for donors might appear repugnant,” wrote Matas. “Yet to me, what is truly repugnant is the sad reality of patients dying and suffering while waiting for a kidney.”

and

“The last vestige of human altruism is at stake,” Chapman wrote. “Which family member will donate if the government will pay someone else $US100,000 to provide a kidney?”.

So what do you think? Do you believe people should be able to sell their organs to people on the waiting list? Do you think it would be a good thing, say if you really needed the money and had a perfectly healthy kidney you could do without? What about those poor people who have been waiting for years who would be willing to pay?

Is it really that unethical? If we don’t make it legal will it become like abortion, as in people will do it under the radar, but dangerously?

Or are you completely against it? Is it totally unethical?

What would be the economic effects? The social effects? Cultural? Political? What would this mean for us?

Are you somewhere in between? Undecided? Somewhere else entirely?

Please share you thoughts and opinions :)

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5 Answers

I think if you allow people to sell their organs (mainly liver and kidney I suppose) then there is the always the possibility that the system is going to be abused and that potentially very venerable people (poor and desperate) are going to be forced in to making life changing decisions for the wrong reasons.

Lightlyseared (34863

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The point for me is that people shouldn’t have to sell organs, think of all the perfectly good organs being buried in the ground or burnt.

This pretty much sums it up.

bluemukaki (4332

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Organ trading is truly repugnant. When you create a market, the poor and desperate are automatically at the mercy of those with the wherewithal to buy something that should never be a commodity.

It will mean that people’s organs are stolen.

It will mean that organs are harvested in unsanitary comditions and people will die.

It will mean that people who are not informed enough to give consent will unknowingly risk their lives.

It will mean that organ recipients will potentially end up with diseased organs.

It will mean that the rich and powerful will be able to exploit the rest of us in yet another way.

marinelife (62485

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