Organ Transplants for Profit Debate

Chris Summers

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Organ Transplants for Profit Debate

A big debate in science right now is whether or not people should be allowed to sell their organs for money. Most people think that it’s inhumane to sell body parts, especially organs because of the danger involved in the process. That’s the reason why almost all countries have made it illegal. Others question if the risk outweighs the benefit of  people on the waiting lists for transplants getting their organs sooner due to increased donations. Thousands of people die a year waiting for organs like a liver or kidney. Law makers are trying to find a way to decrease the amount of people dying and this topic is frequently brought up and discussed. So, should potential donors be able to sell their organs in exchange to help those who need them?

As of right now 92,000 Americans are awaiting an organ transplant of some kind. The passing of this law would increase the amount of potential donors and save many lives. This would also make it easier for further research to be conducted into organ transplant technology. When organs are moved from one person's body to another's it is called an allograft transplant (Biotech Learning Hub). Some examples of organs that can be transplanted are the kidneys, pancreas, heart, and intestines (Biotech Learning Hub). Certain organs can also be transplanted from a deceased donor shortly after death. All of these transplant procedures can save people with organ failure and other organ complications. It  involves some risks though, such as the bodies rejection of the transplanted organ, infection risks, and dangers during the operation (StatisticBrain). The science behind organ transplanting is both amazing and interesting. Yet some people find the technology to be frightening and morally wrong, which is why this is such a debated issue.

There are two main reasons why the sale of organs should be allowed. They are to decrease transplant wait times and to diminish the black-market. If someone were to submit a request for a kidney in the U.S. right now they may not see it until 2020 (Park, Alice). Especially if the person is in bad condition when they request an organ, 5 years is a long wait and may even be longer then they can survive without (Park, Alice). This situation forces some people to turn to the black-market to get an organ. Some U.S. citizens diagnosed with kidney disease have traveled to places like Nicaragua and Peru to buy organs in a shady trade that hurt and even killed some of the donors and people receiving the transplant (Cline, Austin). If selling organs was legal all of this could be prevented. On the other hand, there are a few reasons why the legal sale of organs is a bad idea. First there are only a few organs in your body you can live without before needing them back. The only organ you can donate and hope to live a happy life is a kidney. Also you couldn’t sell organs with a guarantee that they’re going to work for the recipient. If someone pays someone thousands of dollars for an organ that isn’t compatible with their body it could be a bad situation. Even if the organ does not fail immediately, which most don’t until 2 or 3 years after, people are going to have to keep getting transplants. This is why 20% of kidney transplants every year are re-transplants (Berr, Jonathan). Some people also see selling organs as morally wrong.