Amy L. Friedman

Though organ transplantation has become a life-saving marvel of modern medicine, the donor waitlist is substantially longer than the supply, and many patients die before they can be treated. Thus, proponents claim, creating an economic incentive for organ donation will save lives. Others, however, argue that allowing the sale of harvested organs would decrease equity of access between the rich and poor and foster an illicit organ trade in developing nations.  Should we legalize the market for human organs?