Shortages in organs available for a transplant continues to be a problem in the United States, even though the transplant of donated organs is completely safe. A person not registered as an organ donor may believe organ donation is against his or her religion or that it is necessary to donate organs while still living, but that is not the case. There are almost only benefits when it comes to registering to be an organ donor.
To first understand why organ donation is important, it is necessary to know how organ donations happen. “Transplantation occurs when organs or tissues are removed from one part of a person’s body and place on or in another part of the same body or another person’s body. When organs or tissues are transplanted to another …show more content…
A study done by researchers at the University of Geneva discovered a mistrust of medical professionals is another reason for lack of organ donors. In the study, “Some participants indicated that they wouldn’t donate the organs of their next of kin if his or her heart were still beating, even if they were proclaimed brain-dead” (Wen). However, the 1981 Either/Or Definition of Death asserts: “An individual who has sustained either (1) irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions, or (2) irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem, is dead. A determination of death must be made in accordance with accepted medical standards” (Schmitz, 2). Therefore, a brain-dead person can be declared deceased. Also, a professor in the study maintains “There are a lot of people who subscribe to the belief that if a doctor knows you are a registered donor, they won’t do everything they can to save your life,” which is a misconception (Wen). Doctors will always do whatever is necessary to save a life, whether the patient is registered as an organ donor or not. The study from the University of Geneva also shows a correlation in organ donation and medical dramas on television. The more real the drama is, the more likely a person is willing to register as an organ donor, since they see the benefits in television
To first understand why organ donation is important, it is necessary to know how organ donations happen. “Transplantation occurs when organs or tissues are removed from one part of a person’s body and place on or in another part of the same body or another person’s body. When organs or tissues are transplanted to another …show more content…
A study done by researchers at the University of Geneva discovered a mistrust of medical professionals is another reason for lack of organ donors. In the study, “Some participants indicated that they wouldn’t donate the organs of their next of kin if his or her heart were still beating, even if they were proclaimed brain-dead” (Wen). However, the 1981 Either/Or Definition of Death asserts: “An individual who has sustained either (1) irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions, or (2) irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem, is dead. A determination of death must be made in accordance with accepted medical standards” (Schmitz, 2). Therefore, a brain-dead person can be declared deceased. Also, a professor in the study maintains “There are a lot of people who subscribe to the belief that if a doctor knows you are a registered donor, they won’t do everything they can to save your life,” which is a misconception (Wen). Doctors will always do whatever is necessary to save a life, whether the patient is registered as an organ donor or not. The study from the University of Geneva also shows a correlation in organ donation and medical dramas on television. The more real the drama is, the more likely a person is willing to register as an organ donor, since they see the benefits in television