Is human organ donation a human rights issue: An exploratory study

Abstract

To alleviate the world-wide shortage of life-saving human organs, some nations permit any of four controversial practices: (1) “transplant tourism,” (2) use of organs from executed prisoners, (3) free-market sale of organs, and (4) “presumed consent” to donate organs (WHO, 2004). How much do these practices pose human rights issues? In this exploratory study, 61 college students completed a brief survey on these four issues, along with demographic data--age, sex, ethnicity, religiosity, and political affiliation. Three findings emerged: (1) On a 0-9 scale, students reported highly divided views on all four issues, with over 40% choosing the extremes of “not at all” (0) or “very much (9).” (2) These divided views remained unchanged following a 10-minute informational message (r = +.68, p < .001), and (3) did not correlate at all with students’ biodata (gender, age, religiosity, or registration as an organ donor). Implications of these findings and possible follow-up research are discussed