Should the sale of organs be legalized?

dbnp48 said:
Most developed nations prohibit the sale of organs.
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The only meaningful objection to the sale of organs in my opinion has to do with inadvertently enabling that unscrupulous organ market which would kill people for their squishy inner bits.
 
What about cloning the body organ then putting it back in when it has grown to the right size?
 
cosmictraveler said:
What about cloning the body organ then putting it back in when it has grown to the right size?
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That avoids the ethical problem of whether organs should be sold and the problem of "killing people for their squishy bits" that the previous post mentioned. When it is becomes possible and assuming it's cheap enough, it will eliminate most of the market for organ sales.
 
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"killing people for their squishy bits" the
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Many times, from what I have read, people choose to donate an organ or two while they are alive. Of course those organs that they give away won't make them die under most circumstances. Then there's people who donate their organs when they do die, like in a car crash or having a heart attack as examples. I haven't heard much about people being killed for their organs as yet, do you have links?
 
cosmictraveler said:
Many times, from what I have read, people choose to donate an organ or two while they are alive. Of course those organs that they give away won't make them die under most circumstances. Then there's people who donate their organs when they do die, like in a car crash or having a heart attack as examples. I haven't heard much about people being killed for their organs as yet, do you have links?
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I was just quoting the previous post. I spent a few minutes looking but I didn't see any credible sources. I don't doubt that it has happened but I didn't find anything other than speculation and rumor.
 
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"In the first criminal prosecution of its kind in the United States, Schwartzbach represented Dr. Hootan Roozrokh in a 2009 San Luis Obispo County case arising out of an attempted organ recovery. Roozrokh, an organ transplant surgeon, was charged with attempting to hasten the death of a potential organ donor in order to procure the donor’s organs while they were still viable for transplantation."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Gerald_Schwartzbach#Dr._Hootan_Roozrokh

This is sort of "killing for the squishy bits". But, the patient was dying already.
 
If I could trade a kidney for a way to pay for the Master's degree in Clinical Social Work I want? I would totally sign up to sell a kidney.

I'd be willing to live with the bloat and occasional random pains. Same if someone wanted a partial live liver-they can now cut the liver tip off, stick it in someone else, and have both the donor and the liver stub regrow a whole liver...it's a risky op on the part of the donor, but I'm tired of being poor and spending all my energy just to pay bills, such that I have little/no time to go work on the degree (I'm @ work now...I'm a guard in an organ and tissue donation organization.).

(reminds me...FAFSA...urgh...)

So I wish I could sell my own kidney, quite frankly.
Something that would push up supply would be an "opt-out," instead of an "opt-in", such that unless you otherwise specify, you are automatically considered to be an organ and tissue donor.
I see religious objections, but I think it would help save/prolong lives.
 
I don't see what the problem is. If you can sell pianos, why not organs?
 
We're about a decade out from harvesting porcine organs to replace ours. People have no clue how "around the corner" this stuff is.


The need to wait for or buy or sell organs is coming to an end.

~String
 
Yeah, but if you're dying now...and rich, and need a healthy kidney or liver stub from an o+ donor...
Hey...
We need to talk...:D
 
chimpkin said:
Yeah, but if you're dying now...and rich, and need a healthy kidney or liver stub from an o+ donor...
Hey...
We need to talk...:D
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Go to South America, Africa or Asia. I'm sure you will be able to dig up an organ there with sufficient amounts of money.

~String
 
cosmictraveler said:
Many times, from what I have read, people choose to donate an organ or two while they are alive. Of course those organs that they give away won't make them die under most circumstances. Then there's people who donate their organs when they do die, like in a car crash or having a heart attack as examples. I haven't heard much about people being killed for their organs as yet, do you have links?
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Well, I suspect it would be a hard motive to prove, and wouldn't make much sense as it would be hard for the murderer to control exactly who recieves the organ, but if there was something in existance such as hmm, I dunno, say, a list of organ donors? Then theoretically you could murder them for organs, and there's probably a few nutters who would try.
Or we could just take them from those who won't be missed, like the homeless, and tax collectors. ;)
 
chimpkin said:
If I could trade a kidney for a way to pay for the Master's degree in Clinical Social Work I want? I would totally sign up to sell a kidney.

I'd be willing to live with the bloat and occasional random pains. Same if someone wanted a partial live liver-they can now cut the liver tip off, stick it in someone else, and have both the donor and the liver stub regrow a whole liver...it's a risky op on the part of the donor, but I'm tired of being poor and spending all my energy just to pay bills, such that I have little/no time to go work on the degree (I'm @ work now...I'm a guard in an organ and tissue donation organization.).

(reminds me...FAFSA...urgh...)

So I wish I could sell my own kidney, quite frankly.
Something that would push up supply would be an "opt-out," instead of an "opt-in", such that unless you otherwise specify, you are automatically considered to be an organ and tissue donor.
I see religious objections, but I think it would help save/prolong lives.
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I agree with the opt-out comment. Someone told me once about some comparison between countries with opt-out programs and ones with opt-in programs, the comparison was something like 80% donors versus 20% donors (though my memory is fuzzy).

Organ sale would have some other problems in countries with free healthcare. One might not have a problem with living with one kidney, but if anything bad happens as a result, or if your second one is failing, the government would be paying for your medical bills.

Another argument against legalizing organ sale is similar to an argument against legalizing prostitution - a person might be pressured to make a choice that isn't in their best interests.
 
Why not set up a bank of stem cells for people so they could have thier own organs grown and replaced as required? One downside though is that, as usual, only the wealthy would really be able to take full advantage, but perhaps they could pay a premium to even out supply a little more.
 
What do you think happens when you die, you are stripped down and recycled by the government.


Doner card holder? as if it matters.

Peace.
 
EmptyForceOfChi said:
What do you think happens when you die, you are stripped down and recycled by the government.


Doner card holder? as if it matters.

Peace.
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Some may want to come back as a drink can!

Sale of organs though, is a different matter. The risk of exploitation is huge and many are exploited. Look at India for example, where people living in abject poverty in the slums are selling their kidneys for a few hundred dollars. And some suffer greatly, others are duped by spurious brokers and get little to nothing and worse still, some die as a result.
 
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