Selling your body...

[Bombadillo]

..parts.

That's right, a thread not about prostitution, but about the selling of your own sperm, eggs, blood, or organs and the participation in medical experiments for cash!

Personally, I never understood why someone in need of money wanting to sell their own organs would upset anyone else, but for some reason I've always had the impression that society is largely against the idea. As for being a human guinneau pig, that's as noble a job as any IMO, since you are contributing to society by allowing research to be done that might help some people. And I know you can sell parts of your bone (for big cash too, since it's so painful and no one is willinging to do it) to someone who needs a transplant. The same goes for kidneys. You can donate them, but if you're saving a life, you at least deserve to get paid for it, IMO.

Are there big moral issues or something?

Did or would you ever consider doing it yourself?

What do you think society's problem is, if any, with the idea?

[Lotesse]

Originally Posted by Bombadillo

..parts.

That's right, a thread not about prostitution, but about the selling of your own sperm, eggs, blood, or organs and the participation in medical experiments for cash!

That IS prostitution, as far as I'm concerned. The most disgusting level of prostitution.

[Bombadillo]

Really? You mean all of it?

At least for the kidneys and bone marrow, the donor deserves some money to get him through physical therapy or whatever. I know that a charitable donation of that kind should be worthwhile just 'cause it's saving a life, but then asking someone to be satisfied with only that, after having just lost a kidney and facing some months of recuperation, is kind of too much to ask. IOW, I don't think I could blame someone for wanting money in that situation.

[Lotesse]

If you want money for it, then it's not a donation. To donate is to give as a gift, not to sell.

[Earniel]

In theory it could work, paying donors. It would mean an increase in much-needed transplants that could save a lot of live. But we wouldn't be human if we don't manage to screw a good system up. You're going to have black markets for organs, like those that are already in existance. Poor people will sell some of their organs to get some cash, often endangering their health in the process. Often it's not even them that'll make a lot of money on their own kidneys and such, but some middle-men. In the end it can do more harm than good.

Reminds me of that Continent of Entmoot game, where in one issue students began selling organs to pay for their education.

[Millane]

not sure about selling my organs but if i die they get donated, sorta scared to donate them when i still might need them