I am - in the UK - and I think that it should be opt out rather than opt in.
I’d go so far as to say there should be no choice available to opt out
Wtf? The state doesn’t own our bodies.
Neither do you, once you’re dead.
How does it matter though once we’re dead? It’s only gonna help others in need
I think the vast majority of people who, even if they have some discomfort around the idea, would not care enough to opt out. The only effect of not allowing opt out, I think, would be to cause considerable distress to those who do care a lot about not donating. I don’t agree with their stance but I don’t think they should be forced to donate, especially if we can get enough organs just from making it opt out instead of opt in
It is, they changed it a while back.
I am not registered, but I have a organ donor card (where I approve organ donations).
Background:
Germany just recently (18th of March this year) launched an online database where you can register your preference. Until then there was only a small organ donor card that you could fill out and carry with you.
Reason I haven’t registered there yet is that I first need to unlock the online function on my passport (nowadays always enabled, but I still have one from when it was optional). So I’ll eventually get around to doing both.
As for my reasoning behind being a donor:
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I would like to receive them in an emergency (or for someone I care about to do so).
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And in case I become a donor I am not there anymore to care about what people do with my organs.
TIL, registering there right away.
I’ve had my donor card for a long time now (for about the same reasons as you), this solution seems at least a little better. I would still very much welcome an “opt-out” system, or something that would make the decision mandatory for everyone. You can always say no with no questions ask, but there are likely so many people that would have no problem donating but just never thought about the topic.
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Yeah but I wasn’t for a long time. There was a spiderman cartoon where mary jane was targeted for murder because her name was in a database of organ donors and the villain needed her organs for his wife or something. scared the shit out of me when I was a kid and I had a knee jerk reaction when filling out the form I never really thought about. someone had to directly ask me before I realized I had based this decision on a cartoon I saw when I was 5.
What a message to give to kids, wow.
By default in our country. You have to unregister if you don’t want it.
Yep. I’ll be dead anyway, so I have no use for them anymore. If it can save someone’s life then imo it’d be a bit selfish not to. I was already registered when it was still opt-in, but now it’s become opt-out here in the Netherlands so even better. It’ll make sure that a lot of people who don’t care either way will now save life’s that we otherwise wouldn’t.
Yeah, I’m registered, just in case the agency in charge manages to not fuck up that day.
In Austria you have to register to NOT be an organ donor. So we have about 99% donors (after brain death). I am a donor too, as I neither care about my body once I am dead nor bother to register for anything.
No.
The topic came up among a table of paramedics and other first responders I was drinking with one night. Went down to the dmv and had the mark taken off my id the Monday after.
Would love to know anything more about that reaction.
I think we need some more context, other than it’s obviously not good like it’s promoted as
Yes I am. As for why, my organs will save peoples lives,
I was already a donor before my sister died but it really solidified my stance when she saved three people’s lives with her kidneys and liver. They needed it more than the crematorium needed them.
Yes, though my lifestyle may mean some are no good.
Yes, I don’t see why not. What else am I gonna do with my organs when I’m dead?
No. I used to do that. I stopped doing that after I registered for be the match and had gangs subsequently stalk and harass me. I had people threatening to shoot me over the past several years, which may or may not be tied to registering, but many of their threats were motivated by my blood type. I’m the universal blood type donor. I’ve had several people, throughout my life, make comments about having me killed for my organs since I’m everybody’s type. I know it was just people being cruel, but I really feel more at ease by not being a listed organ donor.
That’s more about you than about organ donation. Your experience is not anywhere near normal.
Up until now here in Germany we had a “system” that was a paper(!) card you put in your wallet if you were ok with donating your organs. That’s obvioisly not an ideal system and Germany has far to few donors. We now moved to an online system and being Germany it’s (as far as I’ve heard, I haven’t tried it yet - which might be a sign that this is not going to be a great solution) is super complicated and convoluted. So basically even worse than the piece of paper in your wallet (seems impossible but for Germany business as usual when it comes to anything digital).
Personally this would be one of the very few things were I would be ok with something being opt-out instead of opt-in but I don’t see that happening.
Apparently the paper card is still valid, there’s the online thing and you can also put it in you advance directive(? that sounds made up, I mean "Patient*innenverfügung):
https://www.organspende-info.de/organspendeausweis-ja-oder-nein/
How weird that it’s so different just over the border. Here in the Netherlands it’s opt-out and afaik it was quite easy to enroll when it was still opt-in.
Not yet. As soon as some people in my country get to know I am registered, I am dead meat - worth my weight in gold. It’s dangerous.
People are downvoting you because they are probably from a Western country and haven’t heard of this before.
To them I advise they Google “gangs hunting organ donors”.
This absolutely happens in multiple countries.
I’m sorry you face this threat.
Yes I am.
When I die, my organs are no longer of any use to me, but could improve someone else’s life. I’m not sentimental about my corpse. I’ll donate anything that’s still useful. I don’t even mind if medical students use my bones to play pranks on each other. Heck, I think I’d prefer that.
