Get Out of Debt by Selling Your Kidney: Should You Be Paid for Giving Your Organ to a Stranger?

I think selling your organs should be legal. I don't see the harm that can come out of a stranger being compensated for giving an organ to a sick person who needs it to get better.

I think Legislation should be set up to allow compensation to a living organ donor. If there were something in the law books allowing live donors to be paid it would crack down on the organs on the black market. Many of the black market brokers have to hide behind a veil of secrecy, along with the donor and patient. This can be more dangerous. Why not legalize it and protect everyone involved.

Some people, myself included, have decided to have their organ donated upon their death. Donation upon your death should not be compensated. Most people who take part in a live donor donation are either family members or friends of the patient in need. Random strangers are generally not going to be screened to see if they match a perfect stranger, then undergo surgery and give an organ away from absolutely no compensation.

There are some people who believe that selling an organ is wrong and that is fine. All people are entitled to their opinion.

I also understand that one argument is that the people who can not afford this will lose out and not get an organ they so desperately need. However I do not believe this to be the case. If there is a law allowing only for "live donors" to be compensated, I truly believe the majority of live donors willing to give their organ to a stranger, would be people who are only motivated to undergo this due to the financial compensation and would not otherwise be screened for donation to a stranger.

If legislation is passed, I do not believe the family of someone who is deceased should be compensation for the sale of that person's organs. The process for organ donation upon death should stay the same. If anything, allowing compensation for live donors would only flood the market - you would still have the same amount of people donating their organs at death BUT now you would also have people who would have never considered being a live donor, but are now. Think about the people who this could help

How different is this from egg donation? Or surrogacy? Both of these are legal in the United States, allowing for the donor or surrogate to be compensation for doing this.

I know these two situations are apples vs. oranges but both provide something that the other person needs. Honestly I think this should be reversed. Living donors should be allowed to be compensated for potentially extending the life of a person needing an organ. You can not get better without an organ transplant. You will not die from not having a child.

I'll be the first to say that neither myself nor my family have ever been involved in either of these situations, and I understand that until you are in that situation, you don't know what length you would go to. If I had to the option to choose to either donate an organ or donate an egg, and be compensated the same amount for either, I think I would prefer to donate my organ. You could save someone's life.