Getting a few thousand dollars richer can be as easy as a kidney away. In the United States, a single kidney is worth up to $262,000 in the black market (Jade, 2012). Organ sales is an activity that is illegal in all parts of the world except for Iran (Dehghan, 2012). However, for that activity beingillegal, there is sure a high amount of people participating in the illicit act. In 2012, there was an estimate of 10,000 black market operations; that is more than one organ sold each hour (Campbell & Davison, 2012).
People may participate in organ sales thinking it ill help relieve them of a personal situation that may be caused by the downfall of an economy. People may even participate in organ sales simply because they want the money to obtain tangible things that are not needed. Organ sales is the activity of individuals selling a recipient; the recipient is willing to pay a high amount for the organ. Individuals may see organ sales as a gateway to escape personal situations; however, it is destroying lives mentally and physically.
Some individuals may resort to selling their organs as an opportunity to escape ersonal situations such as the downfall of an economy or the harsh condition of living in a third world country. When the economy falls, people lose their jobs which leads to unemployment. Without a job, individuals will not be able to support their family let alone themselves. Therefore, individuals resort to selling their organs to survive and refrain from becoming homeless. Individuals see selling organs as a fast way to receive a large amount of money.
Unemployment lead one couple from Serbia to offer their kidneys online for about $40,000 each. The couple did this because the husband had lost is job and became unemployed, this lead them to the point where they were only able to afford one meal a day for their two children and themselves (Bilefsky, 2012). The couple is struggling to survive which leads them into a desperate situation where they are resorting to selling their organs. It is possible that other individuals may sell their organs so that they can use the money for personal benefits.
Personal benefits such as drugs and luxury stuff. If organ sales become legal in all areas, drug addicts will want to participate in the activity so that they an buy drugs with the money they receive from selling their organ. There are others that want to sell their organ so they can afford luxury items such as designer clothing, jewelry and cars. When much thought is given into this, all these things can mentally impact an individual negatively rather than positively. Organ sales has the potential to mentally destroy lives.
Individuals who have participated in selling their organs may feel guilty afterwards. This is because the individual will feel like they are lesser of themselves and that they do not value hemselves enough due to money being able to buy them out. Individuals may experience insecurities as well; they will feel like they are half-human because there is a part of them that is missing physically. A Bangladesh guy who sold his organ has a scar to remind him of that experience.
He reported that he feels like he is a living cadaver and that his body feels lighter but his chest is heavier than ever (Resnick, 2012). This depicts that he carries a burden of regret and guilt on his chest. Muslims believe that in the afterlife God will question them on the missing parts f their body. They believe that if they have sold them, they have sold God’s gifts which makes them feel disgraced (Resnik, 2012). All these factors are ways that can make an individual suffer depression which affects the mental state and potentially the physical state through self-harm and suicide.
Depression is caused by negative feelings brought upon an individual such as sadness, guilt, and low self-worth. Depression makes a person feel bad about themselves and less of a person which can cause them to harm themselves (Depression, 2017). When a person arms themselves, not only is it bad for their mental health but their physical health as well. Example of self-harm to the body may include cutting the skin, hitting or banging head, and burning oneself; however, these things can also lead to one another which can eventually become suicide (Self-injury, 2016).
Lastly, selling an organ can destroy an individual’s life physically. Most people who sell their organs are from third world countries where education is poor in quality. This is not only because of their economic situation, but as well as the knowledge they have regarding the topic. These individuals can be easily tricked into selling their organs because they are told that it is a “spare” organ that they do not need or that it will grow back (Fleckner, 2015). However, that is not the case, a kidney is not a spare organ.
There is a study that demonstrated people with a single kidney have a greater risk of renal disease than people with two kidneys (Muzaale, et al, 2014). There are numerous amounts of risks that can happen after removing an organ from the human body because not all transactions can go perfectly smooth. Risks such as infections in the incision site, neumonia, blood clots, diabetes, and even organ failure (Being a Living Donor). It is even possible to not wake up after the surgery due to the anesthesia. Individuals who have sold their organs can experience blood clots which can lead to stroke and organ damage.
Vicky Young, gave one of her kidneys away and seven years later, she is in stage IIl chronic kidney disease (Cuda-Kroen, 2012). A person who has given away a piece of their pancreas is at a higher risk for diabetes than a person who has never did. The pancreas helps regulate the amount of glucose in the human body by producing insulin. If the pancreas starts to not function properly, the body will start to lack insulin, therefore, high glucose amount in the body leads to diabetes (Pietrangelo, 2016).
The act of selling the human organ is not safe and individuals should not have to resort to that activity. Indeed, economic downfall can be difficult, but there are far worse aspects coming from selling an organ from the body. Selling an organ has the potential to destroy lives mentally and physically without individuals foreseeing it. Feelings of regret, shame, insecurities and belittling oneself are all factors that can rigger the mental health of a person which can cause them to bring self-harm upon themselves as well as possible suicide.
Going into surgery to remove a kidney and never waking up is tragic. Living with just one kidney raises the risk of getting renal disease by a whole lot. Not to mention, there are other diseases associated with one lesser organ such as diabetes and blood clots. There are many physical damages that it can bring to an individual which is why the individual should refrain from turning to organ sales as a gateway to escape personal situations that is temporary and can be passed.
