New Opt Out Organ Donation System comes into effect today

[Al1Langdownthecleghole]

I've just gone on to register my wishes, (link below if anyone else wants to do likewise).

I was concerned that under the new regulations requiring you to opt-out of becoming a transplant donor, it would not be possible to specifically opt-out of donating my reproductive organs.

In fact, if you opt to only donate some of your organs and select the ones you are happy to be used, reproductive organs are not listed as a choice, although "tissue" is, and I do wonder how widely tissue could be interpreted.

For now, I am choosing to opt-out of donating tissue, but would be willing to donate the other organs specifically listed.

Sadly, there is the inevitable question about gender. Even when talking about cadaver transplants, it would seem gender trumps biology.

www.organdonation.nhs.uk/register-your-decision/register-your-details/?

No gronky i really wasnt clear

Should have done it in two posts

Anyway I’m off now, its an interesting thread but probably one I should avoid posting on if im unable to actually type anything rational!

Sorry, Rufus. I misunderstood. I thought you ,want I was lacking in empathy. It’s more a case of me lacking in glasses. 🤓😳😁

want = meant 😳

Thank you totally

I’m still leaving the thread 😀 I shouldn’t be allowed access To a keyboard today

😁

The thing is gronky, even if I did think that my dsis, who had always carried an organ donation card, should have been prioritised over the woman in the next bed who (with her entire extended family) still refused to go on the organ donor list (because.. usual conspiracy rubbish/it’s not nice) despite already having received two organs, it would be irrelevant. The only thing that matters is clinical need. And that’s right. The alternative would be X-Factor for organs - who is the best person? Who has the best sob story?

But my point still remains. Please, please don’t use this issue to get gender critical brownie points.

“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.’

Molecular cloning from DNA has been pretty unsuccessful in humans. We’re a lot further away from that than we are from harvesting eggs from living and dead women and girls without their consent.

Matilda, I'm really sorry to hear about your sister. That must have been very hard.

And AlternativePerspective, thanks for such a thoughtful and compassionate post. I hope you stay healthy and well, and off the list.

I find this idea:

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

Utterly chilling.

Death is not a very straightforward yes/no state. Death is a process; at which point should one's body become property of the state? Perhaps even prior to death would be okay, if it were, say, from a criminal to save a more deserving or wealthier host? If you think this sounds like sci-fi, maybe read up on China harvesting organs from prisoners.

Some people have a very mechanistic philosophy/belief about the body, many other people have religious or personal beliefs that call for their body to be treated with respect and certain protocols.

I also wonder if this is putting medics in a difficult position. They're going to be making very difficult decisions at a very difficult time. I'm sure it'll never be easy, but as said above by Alternative, the solution is far more conversation around the matter, not a stripping of rights and autonomy.

The issue of bodily consent is very pertinent to feminism.

reproductive transplants are not actually a thing
It’s already been done successfully. It’s not commonplace but the technology is there. And egg implantation has been done for a number of years.

I’m presuming there is no opt out for reproductive tissue because reproductive transplants are not actually a thing, even if they might become such in the future.
True, but I'm still wary of having my eggs used in research as well.

reproductive transplants are not actually a thing

Womb transplants have been done. To be absolutely clear whilst I doubt mine is of any use now I would not consent to it being given to a woman or a trans woman.

And clearly reproductive research is ongoing. For the moment reproductive organs and tissue seem to be excluded. I will need to think very carefully about this- if it is the case reproductive organs and tissue are fully excluded and will always be fully excluded then I will not opt out.

I’m presuming there is no opt out for reproductive tissue because reproductive transplants are not actually a thing, even if they might become such in the future
It's already happened I dont recall if it was successful, but a woman somewhere has had a uterus transplant.
Not to mention vagina transplants, which uses donated tissue.

the regulations have been revised to clarify further that tissue from sexual and reproductive organs, including skin, will not be transplanted without express consent regardless of the type of transplant, routine or novel. This is to give assurance...

That phrase illustrates perfectly the sinister acceptance that all other organs will be taken without express consent

A tacit acknowledgement that express consent is irrelevant.

The principle of not needing consent regarding bodily autonomy will now creep into other laws.
If 'presumed' consent is palatable to a nation, there are a myriad of circumstances where express consent might now be argued unnecessary on principle.

Death is not a very straightforward yes/no state. Death is a process

At risk of derailing the thread, by the latest thinking from great minds of Twitter this logically implies death doesn't exist, which will be a big relief to many. An additional implication would be that anyone should be able to change their legal status from living to dead through a process of self-identification, without necessarily having to undergo euthanasia beforehand. Someone should tell them so they can start organising conferences on Queering Death and cancelling coroners.

Human beings, when dead, are not a junkyard full of spare parts that can be taken at will. In order for organ transplants to be in any way ethical there needs to be actual, full, informed consent, which this is not. It has nothing to do with being gender critical and everything to do with placing limits on what governments can do to citizens and the monetizing of people's bodies.

In China it's prisoners and Uighers in detainment camps who're having their organs harvested. In the West I'm guessing it will be the homeless who'll somehow no longer be able to be saved in situations where previously they would have been. And from there the principle will just keep on seeping into other areas, because precedents are dangerous things.

Once you're dead, your body/organs should be available for research/transplants etc I think many people are not aware that the harvested person is not dead at the time the organs are removed. The person is anaesthetised during the process just in case they are aware. This means that if you donate your relative's organs then you don't get to sit with them as they die, they are taken away and operated to death.

I really hope that technology will come through and we will have lab-grown human tissue that will end the need for this macabre process.

But my point still remains. Please, please don’t use this issue to get gender critical brownie points
You think the whole gender crit thing is about brownie points?
Its more about keeping women and girls safe.

I haven't used "brownie points" to opt out, I have used my brain and thought through the full implications of this now and in the future.
Right now it's my body, I have autonomy. If the government think it's their God given right to my body near/during or after death then they should pay me to sustain it.

The gender shit just clarified my point. If the government cannot tell a man from a woman they have proved they are not capable of running such an important database.

My take is that language matters, the form should ask for sex (biological fact) rather than gender (meaningless) if they can’t grasp such a basic concept then I’m opting out, if they correct the inaccuracy I’ll most likely opt in.

The principle of not needing consent regarding bodily autonomy will now creep into other laws.
If 'presumed' consent is palatable to a nation, there are a myriad of circumstances where express consent might now be argued unnecessary on principle.

Yep. Horrific.

Kantastic, let me be among the first to say that 'death is a spectrum'

If one can identify as dead can one identify as resurrected too? Behold, pomo Jesus!

think many people are not aware that the harvested person is not dead at the time the organs are removed. The person is anaesthetised during the process just in case they are aware

Oh FFS. Yes they are brain dead. I'd been thinking that some of the information on mn had been making me feel more gender-critical but this thread makes me wonder if I'm in really bad company and need to rethink. m.youtube.com/watch?v=8JOpPNra4bw

Why? That's bizarre. Either you think people can change sex and men are women or you don't. You don't have to agree with everyone else about unrelated controversial topical issues to reject a nonsensical ideological belief.

Informed my friend who has POA that I give consent for organs etc but absolutely no reproductive tissue/eggs etc are to be harvested in the event of my death. Everything is a bit old and jaded now but just in case...

Once again posters here open my eyes to situations I had not even considered. Thank you.

Oh FFS. Yes they are brain dead. I'd been thinking that some of the information on mn had been making me feel more gender-critical but this thread makes me wonder if I'm in really bad company and need to rethink.

Seriously?! I wasn’t aware that women had to be experts on absolutely everything and if they aren’t knowledgeable enough or misunderstand other issues, then they’re bad feminists. Well that’s me fucked then, because I know fuck all about the inner workings of my iPad, other than how to use it.

It's true, Stuck, we probably don't all agree on 100% of every topic, therefore clearly TWAW. Of course.