The biggest myths about organ donation debunked

‘Enough people are already donating’,  ‘I don’t want my body left disfigured’, ‘I have a medical condition, so I can’t donate’ — there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about organ donation.

In Australia, around 1,700 Aussies and their family members are waiting for a call letting them know that an organ has become available that could change their lives forever. While the gift of organ or tissue donation gives thousands of recipients a second chance at love, joy, adventure and life, myths and misconceptions can put many people off the idea of becoming an organ donor.

In 2019, 1,683 Aussies received lifesaving transplants from 548 deceased donors and 239 living donors. Meanwhile, more than 12,000 Australians also received eye and tissue transplants. So what are some of the biggest myths and misconceptions regarding organ donation?

“I can’t decide which organs are donated if I join the register”

This isn’t true. Anyone who registers their desire to donate on the Australian Organ Donor Register has full control over which organs and tissues they’d prefer not to donate. Having said that, it’s always advised to be prepared that some of the organs you want to donate may not always be suitable for donation, Dr Helen Opdam, national medical director of the organ and tissue authority, tells Starts at 60.

“I personally would encourage people to be prepared to donate everything because sometimes you find when they’re in a situation where they can donate and they have further assessment to see what’s suitable, it may be that some of their organs are unsuitable for one reason or another, depending on the matter under which they’ve died, or their health history,” Opdam explains. “If people are wanting to help others through donating, being prepared to donate whatever might be salvageable is the most generous thing. You don’t know ahead of time what may or may not be suitable.”

It’s also important to know you can change your choices online at any time.

“I don’t need to register online because I registered my decision on my driver’s licence”

While organ donation could be registered on driver’s licenses in the past, South Australia is the only state where this still happens. As such, the only way to add your details to the national list is to join the national Donor Register. If you’re unsure, you can check your status anytime at donatelife.gov.au.

“I’ve made my decision so I don’t need to let my family know”

For any donation, health experts will always consult with family members and confirm the wishes of the deceased, so it’s always important to speak with your loved ones about your donation plans. Because many organ donations occur when someone has died unexpectedly, it can be a difficult decision for a family to make either way if they have never discussed a person’s wishes.

“Families are very stressed and sometimes the whole thought around making a decision around donation is really hard for them,” Opdam says. “We know families, if their loved one wanted to donate, particularly if they’re on the register and they’ve had that conversation in the past, then almost without exception, they say yes and follow through with those wishes.”

“Enough people are already donating, so I don’t need to”

While it’s true that one in three Australians over the age of 16 have registered their decision to donate online, only 1,200 people each year die in circumstances where they can help others through transplantation. There’s also roughly the same amount of people at any one time waiting for an urgent organ transplant.

“Health professionals won’t try and save me if they know I’m a donor”

“Sometimes people think if they’re registered, the healthcare staff won’t work as hard to save their life and that’s an absolute myth because donation is only ever thought of when it’s clear that one’s unable to survive or they’ve already died in hospital,” Opdam says. “Healthcare professionals are always prioritising trying to save someone’s life and only if that’s not possible will donation be considered.”

“It’s against my religion and beliefs”

There can often be lower levels of knowledge and awareness about donation and transplantation in some cultures and groups, but most of the main religions in Australia support donation.

“We’ve got information from religious leaders throughout the country, all the key religions, where there’s strong statements of support about donation being completely consistent with Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, all of the key religions support the concept and practice of donation for transplantation,” Opdam notes.

“Once I register to be an organ donor, I automatically become one when I die”

This isn’t always the case as not everyone can become an organ donor when they die. Only about 1,300 Australians each year die in a way where they can be organ donors. This is why it’s so important that more Australians register to be organ and tissue donors.

“I don’t want my body left disfigured”

There’s a common misconception that organ donation leaves your body disfigured, but that’s not true. Organ donation is a specialised surgery and does not disfigure the body. In fact, families can still have an open-casket viewing if that is their wish.

“I have a medical condition, so I can’t donate”

Worried you’re too old or medically unfit to become an organ donor? Think again. Turns out nobody should rule themselves out due to age, medical conditions, or lifestyle choices as the medical experts determine suitability for organ or tissue donation at the time.

For more information about donating, visit donatelife.gov.au.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.