Aside from religious reasons, I'm curious why someone wouldn't be an organ donor?

Question

I don't mean to be insulting or trying to make you feel guilty, I'm just really curious.

Answer 1

I think the decision not to donate is an emotional one based mostly on ignorance about how extremely valuable it is. Even more: it is the most generous and selfless thing a human can do. And it doesn't cost you anything.
Secondly, you don't have to be dead to be an organ donor: aside from kidney donors (mostly to family members), blood donors and marrow donors are considered organ donors also.
Doctors don't give lower quality care if you are a registered donor just to get your organs: that is an urban myth.
You don't take your body with you to the afterlife, why not live beyond your years through someone else?
As for concern that surviving family members might have: make sure they know ahead of time that you want to donate, and put it writing.

Answer 2

Actually, most people would be donors - from about 60 to 75 percent, at least. The problem is that many people do not register or tell their family about their wishes to donate, should something tragic occur.

Only about 1% of the population dies in such a way that they can actually be organ donors - for the most part, in order to be a donor, someone has to be connected to artificial ventilation, then they must become brain dead - not to be confused with a coma. Brain death is the complete cessation of the brain's function - it IS death, but because they are connected to artificical ventilation, their organs are still 'working'.

The circumstances for this type of death are usually tragic and unexpected. If someone has not registered to be a donor or told their family about their wishes, then when the family is approached for donation, many times they are shocked, angered, distrustful, grief-stricken (and usually reacting to their sadness about their loved one's sudden death), and they refuse.

I know it might seem distasteful to ask someone whose loved one has just died if they would like to donate their organs - but from a medical standpoint, it will save people's lives, it is a surgical procedure like any other surgery, there isn't much time before the organs cannot be used (the sooner they are transplanted, the better the chances of organs functioning and less chances of rejection), so knowing this, and knowing the difficult time families are passing, they ask as sensitively as possible, but they still ask. And they understand when families say no- no one judges them, because they know they are going through something difficult.

What is amazing is that families who choose donation often regret not having donated more - many say yes to organs and no to tissues (corneas, skin) because it seems too gruesome at the time of the decision. Later, once they learn more about donation, they come to realize just how amazing every type of donation is, and they feel like they could have done more.

I am a donor family, and having chosen donation has helped us to find one small smidgeon of comfort amidst the tragedy of our loved one's death.

Answer 3

OK-- I from a very traumatic experience have found that although I am sure lots of people will say Bull crap to this --that when you are an organ donor there will be less effort put into the saving of someones life if they are an organ donor do to the great demand for organs ...people on waiting lists and such --they feel that they can spare one persons life to save several- my best friend overdosed and to them he was just some druggie that didn't make a damn -- he was an organ donor --they used his eyes -his skin -and who knows what else--I am grateful that the people that received his parts were helped but I am also bitter that he wasn't given a fair deal in the whole thing.

Answer 4

some people just have issues with the fact that they are dead and they're body organs wont be with them when they are cremated or buried, also some people have health/medical reasons why they CAN"T donate organs.... communicable diseases. otherwise they are just misinformed about the value of donating.... but some states SHOULD make it an option that organ donations should ONLY be used for donations NOT for research purposes like some states figure if you donate. my organs are going for transplant purposes NOT research,( which means for med students to disect and look at) only to be used for people on transplant list. hope this helps ya

Answer 5

I'm not exactly young. I don't suppose my organs would be of use to anyone. Also, I'm not sure how my family feels about it. I don't want them to get freaked out thinking of some docs cutting out my parts. If I meet an untimely demise, my family will be freaked out enough. They don't need that extra stress.

Answer 6

I probably would, but maybe its because they're scared of getting hurt really bad, or dying, or maybe its because they aresick, have a disease, like aids, HIV, or maybe cancer, something like that, and dont want to endanger other people, or maybe they dont even know that organs are needed!!!!

Answer 7

do u mean if your alive or dead. cuz i have no prob with donating an organ if im dead, and i would donate and organ if i was alive to someone i loved or i thought needed to live more than me...

Answer 8

Laziness derived from inertia: most people don't think about it, so they never do anything about it. The above says that people don't want to think about it, but I don't believe they even get that far. They merely don't think.

Answer 9

its so that people that have families that are needing a new heart or a liver can have a second chance at life

Answer 10

the whole thing wierds me out. I'm dead but my organs live - too much.....