As you’re reading this right now, there are more than 100,000 people in the U.S. who are waiting to receive an organ transplant, which can be life-saving. About 35,000 of those people are African American. Unfortunately, most of the individuals on that list never receive the transplant they need. While many of us are curious about becoming an organ donor, we end up changing our minds for various reasons – probably due to all the inaccurate information that’s out there. Here, we debunked some of the biggest myths about organ donation to help you determine whether becoming an organ, tissue and eye donor is right for you.
Myth #1: “I’m too young or old to donate.”
Fact: Contrary to popular belief, there’s no cutoff age for organ donation. In fact, age has nothing to do with the organ-donation process and moreso to do with your overall health.
Myth #2: “I have a previous health condition so I can’t donate.”
Fact: Believe it or not, there is only one medical condition that disqualifies a person from becoming an organ, tissue and eye donor in the U.S. What is it? HIV/AIDS. Those with other illnesses are extensively screened before they are given the green light to donate.
