So DD's organ donor card just arrived...

[Battleax]

...and she waved it at me, so I said "Right you're supposed to have a chat about your wishes with your family." She, continuing to waggle it, says "This is me telling you about my wishes". So I said "Okay, but have you thought about your womb and the trans thing?"

Turns out she doesn't want a man using her womb after her death.

So that's fine, but it made me think; should we all be stipulating this in writing to the organ donor organisation?

You’re right, we need to look into whether that “or any other body parts” still exists.

I can't find out one way or the other so far. The cards no longer list body parts and the website isn't helping so far.

Seems an odd thing to mention within minutes of it arriving.
Whatabout a liver to an alcoholic?

I don't care who gets my bits, I won't be here.

I'll be gone, 'they' can use whatever they like, too old to donate a womb

DD told me in passing that she has one, I believe her words were 'just say yes'

I personally think if you would be willing to accept an organ of any kind, they you should be willing to donate.

Come ON, there is no such thing as womb transplants and I cannot imagine that there ever will be. Where the hell would you attach it for a start? I agree with the concerns about self-ID but you make yourself look like a total loon if you go around being paranoid that men will steal wombs (and that the NHS would pay for such a thing).

Battleaxe did DD not have to tick different things when she signed up? I'm pretty sure when i did DD's it listed certain bits then you could tick whether other viable organs/tissue could be harvested

Seems an odd thing to mention within minutes of it arriving.

Why?

Whatabout a liver to an alcoholic?

An alcoholic isn't someone who started off without a liver and doesn't have the anatomy or endocrine system to support a liver. Furthermore, an alcoholic listed for liver transplantation is probably in desperate need of a liver.

So where's the relevance?

We all have donor cards, and I will make no exclusions. DH is likely to need a cornea transplant at some point. We don't know what can happen tomorrow. If myself, any of DC, DH, or any relative of mine needed a transplant, we'd be glad to accept the organ. That, to me, means that, after we die, any of our organs can be of use to someone, they are welcome to them.

Such hatred. Your organs are no use to you when dead- give them to someone who needs/wants them.

An alcoholic has the potential of reverting back to binge drinking & ruining the new liver. Look at George Best, did he not do just that? So theoretically you have a wasted resource there

The list is pretty clear to be. Wombs are not on the list.

I agree with the concerns about self-ID but you make yourself look like a total loon if you go around being paranoid that men will steal wombs (and that the NHS would pay for such a thing).

Yes I thought the TRAs sound(ed) loony to pursue womb transplantation. Barking mad.

However, since that's what they seem to be hellbent on doing I'd rather they did it without depriving wombless women of donor tissue, wasting hundreds of uteruses on experimental procedures or squandering NHS resources.

I agree with mustbemad and I think that we need to separate the issues because they're not the same and I won't support pettiness on this because it's a really important issue, too important to be reduced to squabbling.

If a transgender woman hasn't had the medical procedures needed to become a woman then they wouldn't qualify for a female-specific organ anyway.

Please don't take yourself off the transplant list.

In the unlikely event that they will start to harvest wombs, there are still only a tiny number of TIMs that could receive one.

All the other parts would go to people with a good chance of benefiting from them- don't deny maybe 10 good organs for fear of your womb possibly going to a TIM.

SusanBunch, good point. How ON EARTH would be a womb be transplanted to a man, who's got a totally different system? What would would they attach it to? I doubt anything close to that would be done in our lifetime, and even less like in NHS hospitals.

I simply don't think it is practical to put conditions on donating your organs.

Such hatred. Your organs are no use to you when dead- give them to someone who needs/wants them

No, not hatred at all; Love of the NHS and sympathy with infertile women.

I've carried a "...and any other tissue" donor card for more than 25 years, and wouldn't dream of poking my nose into who receives what or making moral judgements but for this I'll make an exception, because it's not about replacing damaged organs; It's something else. Something cult like and politicised and wasteful.

My sister was born without a womb, she can never have kids. If you want to ensure wombs aren’t donated to trans people that’s your decision (I don’t agree with it but whatever) but please specify so those who may have a need for it can get it. She’s only young and holds hope that in the future she’ll be able to get a transplant and carry kids, your organs are no good to you dead.

Womb transplants are not yet a medical procedure for anyone - regardless of whether they have XX or XY chromosomes.

So it is not organ donors, but those women who donate their bodies to medical science whose organs will be used to progress research into womb transplants.

There are some significant moral issues if the medical research into womb transplants for people with XX chromosomes is restricted by the availability of wombs, because some of the wombs donated to medical science have been used in medical research into womb transplants for people with XY chromosomes.

Nearly all the attempts at uterus transplant have used living donors, so I don't think widespread use of donated uteruses from dead women will be likely any time soon.

Empress
Hospitals will not have access to your will. You need to make your wishes clear through an advance directive and get a copy in your medical records both with your GP and local hospital. Even then that assumes the hospital where you will be declared brain dead is your local and not a distant one. Make sure your family know so they can say.

I simply don't think it is practical to put conditions on donating your organs.

The system has always run on choosing which organs you're happy to donate.

Since the "any other tissues" wording has disappeared from sight without explanation, I think I'll amend my entry on the register from "all" to specified organs only.

Always bowled over by the transphobia on here.
I hope the loved ones of all these people are all strictly within gender norms, because some people don't even want to try and understand issues like these .
As for my organs, I'll be dead FFS! You can chop off whatever you want if it will make someone's life better! I'd fucking rather a transwoman who wants nothing more than to be able to carry a baby got my womb than an alcoholic get my liver who's already ruined two.
Point is, you don't get to pick and choose though.

Isn't it currently pretty pointless anyway to carry a card? Next of kin can overrule a donor card at the point of death.

I don't understand the point of not donating organs tbh. Okay i know religion can play a part. But other than that, why do people decline? I have very firmly told all of my lot that if i get a call as the only next of kin left, the hospital will be told to take what they can. It's no use to anybody dead

wombs are not on the list
YET

Seriously though, I don't care who my organs go to, as long as they're useful.

I think this is bizarre and a complete non issue.
You can't draw the line, liver for alcoholics, what about a heart for a murderer? Eyes for a paedophile?

You don't donate your organs on the conditions of the recipient, its selfish. And this seems hateful.

DH knows that my womb is not to be given up for donation but the rest of me is fine. I haven't told the DC this yet, as I think it would be a bit traumatic for them to have this conversation at their age. One to save for when they are older