Exam 3 Readings Review 2 April 2015 ORGAN DONATION Richard Titmuss Why Give to Strangers Donations should be altruistic vs paid donations because of need 3 Factors limit blood supply 1 Population medically eligible to donate about 50 different countries have mandates that limit excessive donation usually young people can recover quickly lower class donation in US can be paid not in UK medical professionals ease of access understand need for donation can be exploitative people in need of money might give up a lot age race gender class income ethnicity factors about paid donors supply and demand may be more dire to not have enough blood than to risk exploitation of people 2 Perishability deteriorates after three weeks how to donate to reduce waste 3 Honesty of donor answer medical history questions to decide blood health people in need might lie recipient usually already unhealthy may be at risk if blood is unclean Donor motives repay contribute if know recipient aware of need for donations social pressure interest altruism means to meet need for donations have surplus of blood rare blood type or universal donor Motives that might be frowned upon monetary compensation or prizes non altruistic need money to meet own needs that donate at any cost includes lying The Social Functions of Giving paid donor voluntary unpaid donor majority may not be purely altruistic obligation approval interest awareness expectation of future need should be thought of more as spectrum instead of either paid or voluntary which system commercial blood banks vs voluntary system voluntary seems to be better commercial not as regulated fewer honest donors lower quality supply large economic need don t take away compensation criteria for judging systems economic efficiency price administrative policy quality honesty decreases in compensation system Role of consumer consumer in commercial banks is exploited less freedom of choice to live unharmed because lower quality little choice in determining price more subject to scarcity less free from bureaucratization manage system with controls fewer opportunities to express altruism fewer checks controls on consumption quality external costs Is it ethically permissible to sell body parts or blood if impermissible then question of which system no longer matters determine if have property rights over bodies and how far those extend Modern societies require more freedom of choice for expression of altruism in daily life of all social groups economic and social criteria 482 Number of people waiting for donations constantly changes some receive but then more needed different organs last different amounts of time Eike Henner W Kluge Organ Donation and Retrieval Whose Body is it Anyway Market Solution shortage appears prices rise sellers appear shortage Rejecting Market Solution considering organs as property treats people as property too poor as walking organ banks because need money right to decide what happens to one s body lose right if rely on market to set prices when money needed objection still same degree of autonomy but might be more apt to donate alleviated Presumed Consent everyone will donate organs if healthy when die unless state otherwise more coercive long education explanation process to institute Voluntary Donation organs voluntarily donated at death US license donor card Reasons not to donate religious reasons cannot force presumed consent on these people personal aesthetic deceased or family may want certain death appearance cannot violate personal autonomy unaware of donation opportunity don t make point to opt into system ignorant of donation procedures organs may be harvested before considered fully dead brain dead vs organs stopped decomposition Solutions educate public about organ donation opportunities and procedures adopt presumed consent legislation must be educational over period of time modify transplant society protocols change process of how transplants occur and how organs taken from donor and given to recipient Full and binding authority consent of competent person is full and binding authority for removal of that person s organs after death for transplantation no other permission needed cannot be overruled family next of kin Where is line for competence drawn Informed Consent don t ask next of kin for permission to overcome society use decision of individual sticker on license registries Objection right to our body and what happens to organs after death Janet Radcliffe Richards et al The Case For Allowing Kidney Sales Arguments against she argues these are bad Exploitation of the poor if really need money might feel more compelled to sell R R educate people about dangers so not an argument against poor selling R R do something about poverty if worried about limited options of poor removing option to selling kidney won t help poverty R R rich also engage in risky activities don t have to be poor and exploited to make risky decisions Unfair exclusive benefits of rich many exclusive benefits why is this an issue Payment permissible altruism unrequired for other things why require here Undermines confidence in medical profession doctors seen as being involved in transactions revise system to separate from doctors Women and children might be coerced seen as objects in some places not humans and might be pressured forced to donate Selling kidney could lead to slippery slope may begin to sell other vital organs that shouldn t be sold heart brain but wtf is that stupid Public outrage westerners tend to have issue with organ donation most others fine with it and there wouldn t be an outrage Choice of poor person to see kidney not genuine because Uneducated might not know it is a dangerous procedure R R can educate regulate to get over this problem not an argument against selling kidneys but for better counseling Coerced poor have limited options selling kidney could be limited option for R R If worried about limited options of poor do something about poverty taking away option of selling kidney will not help poverty Too risky i e never in a person s interest R R rich do risky activities don t have to be poor exploited to be risky John Harris The Survival Lottery If two people need organs only need to kill one healthy person to obtain organs and save two lives Problems Terror distress knowing that at anytime doctor could come and harvest organs Harris lottery more efficient way to save more people Cannot ask doctors to do what is wrong kill