New Opt Out Organ Donation System comes into effect today

(And a heartbreaking human story too)

Has anyone read the immortal life of Henrietta lacks?

I can really recommend it. A real world example of the ethical shades of grey surrounding consent and ownership of our tissues/cells/DNA

I’ve opted out because I don’t like the idea of my eggs being harvested and used to create children that I’ll never meet. Or even worse, being used to create embryos for experimentation. In fact I don’t like the idea of any of my reproductive organs being used. If there was an opt-out for reproductive tissue then I’d be happy to donate everything else. But under the current circumstances my only option is to opt out completely.

I have watched my sister die waiting for an organ that never came.

Organs should only be given on the ground of clinical need. Nothing else is relevant. They aren’t some kind of prize for good behaviour.

I don’t necessarily feel comfortable with opt out, but understand why it has come about (see first sentence of my post).

But I feel far more uncomfortable about people using this to score gender issue points.

That would be the first thing they posted.

Someone who's suffered a painful loss, possibly even of their child, would always be happy sharing that information?

Plus having suffered a personal loss doesnt mean that someone has empathy for other viewpoints

It's possible that, from their point of view, those who refuse organ donation on the principle of 'it should be a gift' or not liking the use of the word gender in the form don't have much empathy either.

Personally, I'm not angry with people who opt out, I'm disappointed that they don't share my views and saddened by the lives it will cost but I'd rather live in a world where they're free to have their own.

“Women unsurprisingly do not want their genetic material harvested. This is a massive human rights issue”

If you’ve ever had a blood test done, your “genetic material” has been harvested. They don’t need an ovum to clone you or study your DNA or match your DNA to a crime scene or a relative.

The point she stressed the most was that her colleagues make life and death decisions based on organ donation status

I once listened to a guy on the radio, who was in his 40s, who'd ended up in a coma for some reason I don't remember. His family was put under immense pressure to 'let him go' (and let them harvest his healthy organs). They refused, and very quickly he woke up and made a full recovery (this was a while ago, I don't remember the details, but he was at deaths door, and now he's fine)

He was entirely against this kind of presumed organ donation because of this experience (understandably). Also against the idea of taking organs from people who aren't actually dead, but vegetative (I hate that word for people, is there a better one?).

I don't see why people who choose to opt out of organ donation should be allowed to change their minds or be eligible to be a recipient themselves later, should circumstances change

I think organs should always be used in accordance with quality of match and clinical need.

I think similar for all other forms of medical treatment. It must always be by needs, not whether the recipient is deemed ‘worthy’

I’m dithering about opting out, just in case I’m left nearly dead in tempting circumstances. But I’m assuming from posts above there is no option to specify why not?

Because my reason is that no part of my body is suitable for transplant, and I don’t want people to waste their time with their hopes up.

Plus having suffered a personal loss doesnt mean that someone has empathy for other viewpoints

This thread is mad. You'd rather risk someone dying without a heart transplant to avoid the extremely unlikely event of somebody born male being given reproductive organs. I question self ID, but not to the point of hurting people.

^This. I’m an organ donor and a stupid question of what is your gender isn’t going to make me go off in a huff with my organs and let other people die.

Alternatively, they could have watched a loved one die while waiting for an organ

That would be the first thing they posted...

I think that people who make stupid comments like that just haven’t thought about how it would affect them and their loved ones...they lack empathy

Alternatively, they could have watched a loved one die while waiting for an organ. Though they'd have no way to know if the person ahead of their loved one in the queue was a registered donor or not, it could still be an unpleasantly compelling thought.

Covidicus The point she stressed the most was that her colleagues make life and death decisions based on organ donation status. I won't post here the inflammatory language she used, but you get the picture. She also saw bewildered families strongly encouraged to make organ donation decisions without having full information. She saw slow, painful deaths for the sake of keeping organs viable.

I have carried a donor card for many years, but want to be able to choose which organs to donate and which not to. As this is not possible with the new system, I have opted out.

Very different things, as they have nothing to do with receiving treatment.

Certainly, with smoking, the idea is that the taxes collected offset the additional burden on the NHS. I don't have the statistics on the sugar tax to hand but I'd be surprised if it were currently high enough to offer the same. Personally, I'd support raising them further to the point where the cost is covered but I recognise the calculations are much more complex than for smoking.

Very interesting thread

Ive always carried a donor (took me three goes to spell that...its early) card But the big business aspect of this didn’t occur to me

banana

I think that people who make stupid comments like that just haven’t thought about how it would affect them and their loved ones...they lack empathy

And the whole ‘no organs For you unless you are prepared To donate’ is another....its not a hop skip and a jump to ‘ no blood for you unless you donate’

Ridiculous

On that principle, is it wrong to tax unhealthy foods/products and require insurance for those engaging in dangerous sports?

Very different things, as they have nothing to do with receiving treatment. Lots of stuff is taxed that we may or may not agree with. Dangerous sports often have insurance, because standard life insurance or critical illness won’t pay out in cases of death or illness caused by dangerous sports.

Next it will be saying that people who do something else that affects their OWN health, such as being overweight, smoking or taking part in dangerous sports, shouldn’t receive treatment
Anyone who ever spouts this nonsense has never thought it through.

Get in a car accident, tough shit it's a dangerous activity. You rode your pushbike in the cycle lane but were hit by a bus, oh well cycling is dangerous dont ya know.
Threw yourself out of your home which was on fire? Dang ya should have waited for the fire brigade despite the real possibility you would die.

Organ donation shouldn't be optional imo. Once you're dead, your body/organs should be available for research/transplants etc

I oppose assisted conception and infertility treatment. I always have done. I was only a teenager when the first IVF baby, Louise Brown was born. I thought it was wrong then and still do. My tissue is not available for research into assisted conception.

Rather depends on how "medical necessity" is defined, Covidicus, and TRAs have been attempting to define everything that they'd like to have done to themselves or others as medically essential for years.

Next it will be saying that people who do something else that affects their OWN health, such as being overweight, smoking or taking part in dangerous sports, shouldn’t receive treatment.

On that principle, is it wrong to tax unhealthy foods/products and require insurance for those engaging in dangerous sports?

@forsucksfake what did she see?

Surely they wouldn’t actually transplant reproductive organs/use ova fit ivf? I thought that organ donation only occurred for research or medical necessity? I’ve been a registered would be organ donor for years and haven’t even considered this. I’m perfectly happy for my reproductive tissues to be used for research but it’s obviously not acceptable to start using it to conceive children.

Thank you for the reminder. I have opted out. A family member in health care in the US long ago suggested that we all do that based on the unethical behaviour around organ harvesting that she has seen.