Black Market Organ Of The United States - 1568 Words

Selling a human organ has been a controversial subject for many years. The question arises; is it illegal to sell a human organ if it is going to save another’s life? October 2011 marks the first proven case of black market organ trafficking in the United States. Levy Izhak, a New Yorker, pled guilty in federal court for illegally expediting kidney transplants. His lawyer claimed, â€Å"the transplants were successful and the donors and recipients are now leading full and healthy lives† because of the organ donation and receiving the transplant. Contradicting this principle is that the transaction of blood, semen and ovarian eggs are legal however it is illegal to sell organs in the United States. There is a 105,000 person waiting list†¦show more content†¦This should be extended to further clarify and extend our rights. The current laws that are in place in the United States, which restrict the selling of human organs, increases the odds for a human organs black market to exist. Some exasperated people, tired of waiting, go on â€Å"extended vacations† and receive an organ transplant in another country. This has created a new industry that is known as transplant tourism. It consists of cross-border travel by anyone including recipients, live donors and medical staff to obtain a transplant organ in exchange for cash or goods. The list of countries where human organs are sold include Bolivia, Estonia, Brazil, Republic of Moldova, China, Pakistan, India and Peru, among others. The list of countries where human organs are bought includes Australia, Oman, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Japan and the United States. The human organ black market perpetuates the growth of unsafe surgeries in countries prohibiting the selling of human organs. In order to resolve the secrecy associated with the selling of human organs and thus legalizing this, I propose that this be a topic discussed at length and voted upon with all countries thru the World Health Organization. According to the website â€Å"Daily Mail†, Sarah, a young mother had been on the organ donor register list since she was a teenager. She died of terminal lung cancer, leaving behind three emotionally damaged children