Is legalizing the organ market possible?
BACKGROUND
Two opposing views of the human body have existed since time began. Can it be traded or does its value go beyond a monetary one? Today it is illegal to sell organs but the success of organ transplantation has give rise to an enormous controversy. The continued increase in the need for organs has lead to a major use of live donors. Consequently, clandestine selling of organs is becoming more widespread for two main reasons: scientific progress and market demand. Our aim was to consider the protection of ethical principles through legislation.


METHODS
Based on the principle that it is morally unacceptable for people to die on a waiting list, we analysed various ways in which the National Health Service could give incentives to live donors, including reimbursement of health expenses, tax relief, pension or early retirement benefits, or education grants for the children. Possible incentives for cadaveric organ donation included reimbursal of health and funeral costs, or increase in widow/er's pension.


CONCLUSIONS
The tendency may be toward reimbursement of costs rather than actual payments. A legal, ethical organ market could save thousands of human lives, but it must be correctly regulated.
Novelli
G
G
Dipartimento di Chirurgia Generale specialità chirurgiche e trapianti d'organo P Stefanini, Universita' Degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Viale del Policlinico N 188, Roma, Italy. novelligilnardo@virgilio.it
Rossi
M
M
Poli
L
L
Morabito
V
V
Ferretti
S
S
Bussotti
A
A
Nudo
F
F
Mennini
G
G
Antonellis
F
F
Berloco
P B
PB
D005249:Fees and Charges; D006801:Humans; D009014:Morals; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000191:economics* / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014850:Waiting Lists