I’ve withdrawn from organ donation register

[Purpledogcollar]

I give blood and have always been very pro organ donation.

Sadly I have just withdrawn as protest against reproductive organ donation. I can’t support it and am very conflicted as would like to donate other organs.

What are your views and is it a hasty decision (although not sure I would change my mind).

Your family don't have to honour your wishes. Its another thing that's wrong with the current system.

If reproductive organs are added to the list at a later date, how does that work? Will everyone be asked to update their preferences?

Please make sure your family know your wishes if you want to save lives but don't want your uterus to be used... I personally want my organs used to save lives... but my family all know they are not having my womb to transplant into a bloke.

"Non-routine transplants
The current system for organ donation in England does not cover rare or novel transplants such as limb, face or uterus donation. This kind of transplant is not routine and would require specific agreement from your family."

from the NHS Organ Donation website... https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/helping-you-to-decide/about-organ-donation/consent/#:~:text=Non%2Droutine%20transplants,specific%20agreement%20from%20your%20family.

This message in itself makes me more convinced than ever that organ donation is something I want to do after my death.

I don't understand why anybody withdrew out of principle when it changed to that system

Really? Previously it was a gift. People actively opted to donate their organs. Which is fine

Now it's presumed that your organs are up for grabs. I am not a source of spare parts to be harvested on my death.

YABU. They will always ask your NOK for consent before any donations - despite the opt-out changes of late. You can specify which organs you are happy to donate.

Speak to your family op, they can veto any and all organs.

I've had to sadly withdraw due to cancer diagnosis.

I would never dream of doing this out of a 'protest' when these organs save many many lives. How sad.

No one's coming after your womb.

Eyes are a very common one for people to get nervous/squeamish about. As someone who has a very dear friend who has benefitted massively from a corneal transplant, I thank you for getting past your discomfort and choosing to tick the box.

But your organs could help someone else live? They are of no use to you once your dead. Would you not want to help someone else get their life back?

Wow what a protest. Sod those who could die without organ transplants hey?

Your family don't have to honour your wishes. Its another thing that's wrong with the current system.

Yes. That doesn't feel fair at all.

I don’t think I can opt out of having my brain or my left leg donated either, but there’s a reason for that. The same reason you can’t opt out of reproductive organs.

Actually the transplant organs are given to who needs it, not decided on tit-for-tat. You either give it or you don't.

In my country I can't specify certain restrictions (like I don't want to donate to convicted pedophiles for instance) and since that's not an option I opted out. However, I have donated blood for research several times and participated in a medical trial. I also worked 12 years in an academic hospital and have saved a few lives (not much, literally a few). My specialist (I have 2 diseases) knows that I'm approachable for research needs. I'm worth something while being opt out. It's not so simple to just say that you don't want to donate to someone whose mother or themselves opted out. That's not ethical. A donation is a gift freely given and handled as such.

And if they haven't got your express consent to take them then they can't, they can only take whatever you have agreed to donate, so if I say yes to heart/lungs/liver and nothing else they can't just help themselves to my corneas and kidneys while they're in there because I'd didn't expressly say no. Currently there is no need to opt out of donating reproductive organs because it is not a standard option for donation.

Tbh it's a more precarious position to not be registered as if you are then you have said "You can take XYZ and nothing else" and they have to legally respect those wishes and will go to your family as say "Jane has registered as an organ donor and it is on record that she wants to donate her lungs/liver/kidneys, are you happy for us to do that or do you know anything more about her donation wishes?".

However, if you aren't registered then they can go to your family and say you aren't registered as a donor but XYZ organs are viable for donation and will ask if they want to consent to any organ donation, at which point the decision about which specific organs are donated is solely down to your family.

if I had specific objections then I'd a) be explicit about what I was happy for them to have and b) inform all of my family/NOK of my donation wishes, I wouldn't just deregister and say nothing

I really can't get bent out of shape over something like this.
I'm on the donor register, have been since 17 when I got my first driving licence.
I also donate blood every 4 months, and have previously donated eggs.
I'm staying on it, take what you like, I'll be dead, if I can bring health, extra years, joy, whatever..,take what you need

I think that’s really sad. Your body your choice but just say you don’t want to donate your womb and tell your loved ones. It’s not something the nhs offers anyway. If you were ever in the situation to donate it seems a shame to not save people dying from liver, bowel, kidney, heart, lung and other organ failure because an experimental surgery was performed somewhere. Your NOK can say what they will and won’t donate, it’s hardly like there’s a waiting list for wombs, unlike the waiting list for lungs where over 50% of those on the list waiting will die and others will be forced to accept lungs which aren’t very good (smokers, a patient who might have had cancer found in another part of the body etc) out of pure desperation. I don’t like the idea of donating my face which comes under tissue, I don’t know why, it’s no good to me when I’m dead but I can tell my loved ones if I decide I really don’t want to.

I agree with this. You shouldn't be able to receive one if you opt out.

Unfortunately yes.

This is something else that needs changing. The deceased should be the only one who can decide what happens to their body parts after death.

That works both ways of course. Willing donors should not be prevented from donating due to lack of family consent but for them to be truly willing it should be should opt in consent. Now there is the overwhelming possibility of unwilling donors who through ignorance or oversight did not opt out being used as a source.

That is just one of many reasons why I personally would not receive a cadaver organ.

i think anyone who does this when uterus aren't covered by the organ donation laws and require express, explicit permission, is being ridiculous.

If you opt out due to prejudice. mis-information, and believing trolls on the internet shrieking about men getting your womb, you're an idiot.

HTH!

Reproductive organs are not currently part of the donation programme (Ie from deceased donors) which is why you can't tick to opt out for that specific donation. If it ever were to be a part of the programme you would then be able to opt out.

Opting out entirely is very selfish in my eyes, but obviously up to you.

I’m assuming if opt out is in an advanced decision they can’t just override that?

Can you explain a little more about what exactly you think that could be taken and your reasons for not wanting this to be transplanted?

Why?

I'm well aware of the law, thanks, it's my personal opinion. Which ethical principle does it go against? There are more than 1 and often they conflict. No medical ethics is ever black and white (or "ethical" or "non ethical") maybe you'd benefit from visiting your local hospital's ethics panel meetings to learn a bit more.

Yes yabu, reproductive organs aren’t donated on the NHS donor registry

My first thought was "wow, that's a hill you're willing to die on?" But then I realised that it's actually a hill you're willing multiple potential organ recipients to die on.

Feel strongly about things, by all means, but try not to lose perspective.