Organ Donation Requirements

Organ Donation: A Gift Not a Requirement

The topic of organ donation has become a hot topic over the last few years. As the number of those requiring organ transplants steadily grows, the number of those registered to donate organs remains insufficient. Although according to HealthCorps (2016), 95 percent of Americans would agree to organ donation, only 52 percent registered as organ donors. With the continued high demand for organ donations and the limited supply, it is not surprising that there were judgments made about those who decline to register to become organ donors. Some have even been labeled selfish for refusing to register as organ donors. Stacy Solomon, a TV personality, and previous X-Factor contestant was criticized and shamed

According to Dalal (2015), 25 countries participate in what is termed, presumed consent. In this particular model, citizens are considered organ donors unless they specifically opt out. Instead of having a choice to donate, their choice is not to donate. Although the hopes were high that this method would help close the gap, these countries have yet to see substantial improvement. The fact remains that the decision to become an organ donor is still a huge personal decision that each must consider in their own time. It is impossible to accurately judge someone as selfish when there is no way to determine the factors each person considers when making that

According to Parker-Pope (2009), as many as 57 percent of people have misunderstandings regarding organ donation from a donor who is considered to be brain dead. Those without background medical knowledge may not fully comprehend the meaning of brain dead and may even believe a person can recover from that state. With that gap in communication and understanding, it is easy to see how there are misunderstandings and mistrust between medical professionals and patients as well as their families. According to Wen (2014), there are many people who not only mistrust medical professionals but also believe that if a person is an organ donor, the doctor will not work as hard to save their life which also ties into the belief of an organ and tissue black market. As if that were not enough, just the psychological discomfort that many individuals experience when discussing death could be enough to deter a person from registering as an organ donor. It is likely that most people understand the importance of organ donation and the potential benefits it would have on those requiring a transplant. However, it is also likely that those same people, while considering the needs of others, are unable to get over their misconceptions, mistrust, and discomfort to