Just love in live organ donation

Abstract

Emotionally-related live organ donation is different from almost all other medical treatments in that a family member or, in some countries, a friend contributes with an organ or parts of an organ to the recipient. Furthermore, there is a long-acknowledged but not well-understood gender-imbalance in emotionally-related live kidney donation.This article argues for the benefit of the concept of just love as an analytic tool in the analysis of emotionally-related live organ donation where the potential donor(s) and the recipient are engaged in a love relation. The concept of just love is helpful in the analysis of these live organ donations even if no statistical gender-imbalance prevails. It is particularly helpful, however, in the analysis of the gender-imbalance in live kidney donations if these donations are seen as a specific kind of care-work, if care-work is experienced as a labour one should perform out of love and if women still experience stronger pressures to engage in care-work than do men.The aim of the article is to present arguments for the need of just love as an analytic tool in the analysis of emotionally-related live organ donation where the potential donor(s) and the recipient are engaged in a love relation. The aim is also to elaborate two criteria that need to be met in order for love to qualify as just and to highlight certain clinical implications.Keywords: Live organ donation, ethics, love, the just, choice, gender 2 INTRODUCTION Emotionally-related live organ donation (hereafter referred to as LD) is different from almost all other medical treatments in that a family member or, in for example Sweden, a friend contributes with an organ or parts of an organ to the recipient. Furthermore, in emotionally-related live kidney donation (hereafter referred to as LKD) there is a long-acknowledged but not well-understood gender-imbalance. In cases of LKD, previous studies have shown that female partners donate significantly more often than male partners. Mothers also donate significantly more often than fathers (Schicktanz et al 2006, Thiel et al 2005, Bloembergen et al 1996.This article argues for the benefit of the concept of just love as an analytic tool in the analysis of emotionally-related LD where the potential donor(s) and the recipient are engaged in a love relation (hereafter referred to as loving LD). The concept of just love is helpful in the analysis of loving LD even if no gender-imbalance prevails. It is particularly helpful, however, in the analysis of the gender-imbalance in LKD if live donation can be seen as a specific kind of care-work, if care-work is experienced as a labour one should perform out of love, if women still experience stronger pressures to engage in care-work then do men and if the gender-imbalance cannot be fully explained by medical reasons.The aim of the article is i) to present arguments for the benefit of just love as an analytic tool in loving LD, ii) to elaborate two criteria that need to be met in order for love to qualify as just and iii) to highli...

An intersectional gender analysis in kidney transplantation: women who donate a kidney

“…Furthermore, healthcare field is highly feminised [31]. Within this framework, there are studies in the social sciences that provide an alternative explanation to altruism, which for years has been the basis for organ donation, showing that kidney donation by women may be explained as a form of social reproduction [32], or as a result of social pressure (economic dependence and care burdens) [24,[33][34][35].…”

The living donor study: the concepts and frames of living kidney donors

“…This is in contrast to PA111 who waiting patiently until the end of the monologue or until she was asked a specific question at which time she usually responded with full sentences. Donor benefit as defined by living kidney donors themselves was clear within the transcripts but was dissimilar in many instances to the physical and psychological benefit and risk that have long been considered by clinicians when determining the suitability of the living kidney donor (Spital, A, 2004;Ilic & Avramovic, 2002 ;Zeller, 2009 ;Gill & Lowes, 2008;Lennerling, et al, 2003). These authors are each in agreement that the choice to donate an organ has the ability to create positive long-term psychological implications for the person donating.…”

An ethical comparison of living kidney donation and surrogacy: understanding the relational dimension

“…As it has been noted “to be autonomous, in a relational sense, is to be responsive and responsible to others, and interdependent within complex networks of relationships, which will not always easily accord with the practices and expectations we have normalized in cultures that have elevated ‘the individual’” [58]. From this perspective then, love, affection and concern with others’ needs are not seen as limiting autonomy but as enabling it [17, 59]. Still, there is no inevitability of mothers becoming donors to their children.…”

“…In fact, the concept of donation which emphasizes the desired norm of altruism denotes, in its basic form, a one-sided act. However, in LKD this obscures the fact that the decision for donating a kidney is embedded in a complex web of reciprocal dynamics [27, 59, 70]. However, donors and recipients are also not necessarily aware of the implications of reciprocity within the private realm of the family.…”