Not Just Urban Legend

selling body parts, anything is for sale these days

"But despite numerous media campaigns urging more people to mark the backs of their driver's licenses, the number of traditional (deceased) organ donors has barely budged, hovering between 5,000 and 8,000 per year for the last 15 years."

There are people who just won't heed basic scientific evidence. There is proof that a very simple action like having to opt out instead of having to opt in of organ donation when renewing a driver's license can substantially increase the numbers of donors.

For more, see this presentation with Dan Ariely at:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_ariely_asks_are_we_in_control_of_our_own_decisions.html

The need to buy and sell organs would disappear if everyone took the opportunity to sign up to be an organ, tissue and cornea donor. My son died suddenly at the age of 21 years old. Before his death he had discussed with us his choice to be an organ donor. He saved the lives of 6 people through organ donation, restored sight to 2 people through cornea transplant, and improved the lives of 60 people through tissue donation with the potential to help 90 more individuals. Not many people get the chance to be a hero to someone, but he did. Fulfilling his wish to be a donor allowed us to honor the life of our child and our local donation organization has been a very active in helping us cope with the death of our child.

I noticed that the word "cadaver" was used to describe a deceased donor. This is a selfless gift of life usually given at a time of great sorrow. My son was not named cadaver. His name was Kevin and I expect his gift of donation and that of other donors to be treated respectfully. Please use the words "donated gift" or "deceased donor" to more adequately describe the gift and the act of giving.

Also, if you have ever received a transplant - tissue, cornea, life saving organ - there is a donor family out there that may want to know how you are doing or how the gift you received from their loved one has effected your life. Contact your doctor and ask how to get into touch with your donor. A few minutes, a small notecard and a stamp could help a donor family learn the impact of their loved one's gifts.

This is not research--it is vigilantism.

Certainly one does not condone what is being done in the transplant environ with the sales of organs.

The problem, rather, is that this person attempts to cloak as "scientific research" what actually is no more than taking law into her own hands.

Want to set up a "sting" operation--then do so in concert with law authorities in a legitimate fashion in a manner such that the results of the investigation can take down the criminals running the organ commodification system/scam--and the enabler universities/institutional and corporate hospitals, as well as the individual doctors and procurers.

Yes, the doctors and hospitals are are profiting big-time--they have allowed this to be systematized, and have a flow-through-teabag operation with (as the expression goes) plausible deniability.

But poisoning the process even further with the "research" deception does little more than offer the real criminals a veil of respectability behind which to hide

If I knew how to buy a kidney than my nephew would be alive. He died of kidney failure while waiting for a transplant, he was only 23 years old, I was not a match. If it was legal than the seedy rooms that look like kitchens would not be around. Should be 18 years old or older and wives in India shouldn't be forced by their husbands to sell their organs so they can get a dowary for their daughters. I had a great Aunt die from a dirty backroom abortion before they were legal.

Most of you seem to have lost your minds. Has money, which is really just a contrived idea, with no intrinsic value become more important than flesh and blood, and most importantly, dignity? Instead of seeing that the real issue is about how the gap between the rich and poor has led people into this position, you happily pray to the god of money in the hopes that you can get a little to alleviate a bit of discomfort. I think a much better solution is to rid the world of "masters" who so happily have created and benefit from this mess. Imagine an entire world of mostly human cattle, breed for the purpose of slavery and organ transplants for the few rich people at the top... oh, wait.. if you haven't noticed, that's essentially what we have now.

Most of you seem to have lost your minds. Has money, which is really just a contrived idea, with no intrinsic value become more important than flesh and blood, and most importantly, dignity? Instead of seeing the the real issue is about how the gap between the rich and poor has led people into this position, you happily pray to the god of money in the hopes that you can get a little to alleviate a bit of discomfort. I think a much better solution is to rid the world of "masters" who so happily have created and benefit from this mess. Imagine an entire world of mostly human cattle, breed for the purpose of slavery and organ transplants... oh, wait.. if you haven't noticed, that's essentially what we have now

calamityme, having a username like that only invites hardship. I hope when applying for a job you use an alternative email address as this would be a red flag were I reviewing you application and resume... Contact an officer of the bank and discuss your situation. Things are constantly changing on the foreclosure front and the squeeky wheel gets the grease. Also discuss and the comment made by the 'counselor' with his/her supervisor as this would be a reason for disclipinary action at the very least. Or contact your local news agency. Bad publicity goes a long way...

I would gladly trade one of my kidneys or part of my liver, to save my children and myself from homelessness. We are getting foreclosed on, on February 27th, and everything I have tried has failed, and my resume is getting no response at this point, so rather than live in the streets with my 3 children, (2 of whom are disabled) I would gladly sell my parts. I did not overspend to end up like this, I had my husband arrested for domestic violence, and I then cooperated in his prosecution and sending him to prison, I was told by the foreclosure counselor that I "chose to lose my house when I sent him to prison", so why cant I choose to save my house by selling a kidney? I am educated, healthy, and aware of the risks...Please, someone, help us!

should be legal to sell your parts, what's the big deal? It's your body do with it as you like PLEASE.

i think its disgusting that they transport illegal organs to someone in untied states its inlegal to put organ thats from another counrty around the world its shame that american doctors are taken part of that scheme to american people i think its unjustfied to put someone organ that came from someone that the person who sticking the organ from have no knowledge where it came from its disgusting to live in a cournty bulit on schemes instead of doing it the right way -sad world we all live in today you get get sick die or worse the organ that could be inffected with mutli-dieases like HIV-AIDS

I have almost 10 grad in passed due medical bills than I'm struggling to pay off, so my question is WHERE can I sell MY kidney? Give me a name and number and I'll be at the hospital as fast as a bus can take me.

I think it's a bad idea to sell your organs but it should be legal. If selling one's organs is legal then there can be a non-black market for them with market prices and rather than going through back-alley brokers who take most of the money donors could work through legal channels and receive better reimbursement. Legalization would likely raise the medical and hygienic standards of the organ harvesting so that less donors get ill or infected.

Of course there would need to be some regulations with regard to the age of the donors (no one under 18 for sure).

So What? If the donor is WILLING to sell a body part, what's the problem? Everybody wins. The middle man sounds a bit unethical (ursary) but still, everybody wins. So quit your whining and go back to your lilly white world where such things are not politically correct.

There was an article a while back about culturing the tissue of animals to create another source of meat. For example, if you wanted a really nice steak, you could call some catalog to "grow" some good quality beef for you, and ship it there. Biologically, it would be no different than beef cut from a cow. Tastes the same too.
Could this be applied to human organs? They already have the tech to do this with meat, so why not humans? You could give a sample of your failing organ and they would grow a new one and give it to you. No rejection, no wait, and no illegal organ trafficking.

Just puttin' this out there. Sounded okay in my head, let me know of any obvious flaws in my argument.

Why should it be illegal to sell one of your kidneys? You don t need 2 to live.It saves a life and helps a person in an im[povershed country. It maybe that if it were not illegal the black market activity would diminish.

THERE IS A LEGAL WAY TO GIVE IN THE UNITED STATES...........MATCHINGDONORS.COM.

A sentence that reveals the discomfort some people feel about the commodification of the body: "And thanks to powerful antirejection drugs, that donor no longer needs to be an immediate family member (welcome news to those who would rather not risk the health of a loved one)." We don't want to hurt those we know, but strangers are fair game? Paying money relieves us of needing to feel responsible, or even empathetic.Such exploitation can happen in any commercial transaction, from office work to prostitution. But it is still dehumanizing.