The Benefits Of Legalizing Organ Donation

Every year in the U.S the number of organs needed, versus those available for transplant rises and thousands are left waiting— and thousands waiting, die. Every ten minutes someone is added to the U.S national organ transplant waiting list and on average 22 people die every day still waiting for a transplant. In 2015, there were 122,071 people waiting for transplant by year’s end("National Data - OPTN," 2016). Only half of viable potential deceased donors actually donate and potential living donors are deemed medically unsuitable or are unwilling to donate. Thus there isn 't enough organs to satisfy the ever growing need. Legalizing financial incentive for organ donation could increase the number of willing donors, as well as decrease illegal organ harvesting and transplant. Increasing the availability of donors would save countless lives. However, would offering a financial incentive to …show more content…
Many of these surgeries are done in facilities not meant for such procedures leading to infection, death, or organs that are harvested from unknown sources using unknown means. Legalization of the process can make it safe. It can be regulated and normalized in the public. By regulating financial incentive for organ donation you can eliminate the danger in it. By removing the illegal risks associated with the donation people are more likely to come forward and donate organs and the need for international organ transplant/black market transplants could dramatically decrease. Organ compensation systems as seen in Iran have proven to increase organ donation, decrease patients on the transplant list ( in Iran’s case their is no one on the transplant list yet a donor waiting list) and have shown no preferential treatment of transaction. In fact the population receiving and donating is dominated by the middle class.(Fry-Revere,