Organ donation, transplantation and religion

Abstract

Religious concerns may be an important reason why patients decline listing for a renal transplant. These issues may be equally, or even more, important when live donation is discussed. There is good reason to believe that religious concerns play a significant role much more often than clinicians and transplant teams believe. The issue is certainly further compounded by the fact that a few, if any, patients come forward with their religious concerns, not least because issue of transplantation is new to them anyway and because they meet with transplant teams whom they do not know. Health professionals, on the other hand, may wish to avoid this sensitive issue altogether or may lack knowledge on religious issues pertaining to transplantation. Some may be entirely unaware. We encountered a case in clinic that revealed our remarkable lack of knowledge in this regard. Here, we aim to provide an overview on how the different religions view transplantation and organ donation, with an emphasis on practical points for health care professionals who are involved in transplant listing, organ donation and retrieval, and transplantation itself. Knowledge of these facts may provide a background to deal with these issues professionally and appropriately and to increase transplant numbers.

Role of Religion in Organ Donation—Development of the United Kingdom Faith and Organ Donation Action Plan

“…None of the religions object to organ donation in principle, although in some there are varying schools of thought. What is interesting, however, is that the position of one's religion is used by many people in informing their decision as to whether to donate or not [7,11].…”

Religious Concepts in Organ Transplantation

“…Small series of kidney and pancreas transplants in Jehovah's Witnesses have been described. Early postoperative deaths in anemic cases have been reported [19].…”

“…It was founded in 15th century in India by Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469-1538). The word "Sikh" means learner [19]. There are no ordained priests in Sikhism.…”

Strategies To Facilitate Organ Donation among African Americans

“…Moreover, there is compelling evidence that religious beliefs and misperceptions serve as prominent barriers to organ and tissue donation registration among many African Americans (6,26). However, it is not generally understood that most major religions support organ donation (27). Therefore, delivering interventions to promote organ donation in a religious context may be a successful education strategy (21,28).…”