Medical Distrust
Another reason that many Black people shun organ donations is the idea that organ donors do not receive proper care. Black people believe that medical professionals are eager to harvest their organs after death resulting in subpar care. This belief is rooted in past experiences of Blacks with the medical community, most notably the Tuskegee experiment that purposely withheld care from Black men infected with syphilis.
Read: Blacks Less Likely To Get Bone Marrow Transplants
Cost
Another barrier to living organ donation is economics. Donating an organ costs between $5,000 and $20,000 dollars and weeks of missed work. Few Americans, especially African-Americans, could afford this expense without insurance. Insurance companies considered organ donations to be a pre-existing condition and would not cover the follow up care patients needed. This changed after the passage of the Affordable Care Act.
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There are efforts and programs intended to increase awareness of need for Black organ donors. August 1-7 is National Minority Donor Awareness Week. This program is directed at minorities to increase awareness of the need for more organ, eye, and tissue donors. It has been observed for over 18 years and is focused on increasing the number of minorities registered as organ donors. It also encourages better health among minorities to reduce the need for organ transplants.
Read:5 Biggest Myths About Organ Donation
People who wish to be organ donors can find several websites and apps that allow them to register to donate their organs. These include DonateLife.net, the American Living Donor Network, and Organdonor.gov. In addition, many state DMV offices offer organ donor registries that are attached to your driving records.