In support of kidney sales

According to Al Jazeera,

“Hundreds of people are believed to have sold kidneys and other organs through dealers in the [Iraqi] capital, Baghdad, over the last year. Karim Hussein made the long journey from Amara, a province in the south of Iraq, to Baghdad because he was desperate for the $3,000 he would get from the sale of a kidney there.”

The report describes only half the equation. Sure, people are driven to desperate practices out of poverty, but criminalizing them increases risk more than deterrence. The second half of the equation includes those who purchase kidneys to remain alive, people who are undeterred by much. Would people be permitted to sell their organs legally, the black market would be eliminated, the supply of kidneys would increase, the costs would decrease, and the seller’s safety would be ensured. A kidney in Iraq costs $15,000, with most the money going to the kidney dealer who must outweigh his risk by profit. This risk would be eliminated by the legalization of kidney sales.

In the end, legalizing kidney sales would provide those who need kidneys far better—and legal—access. Moreover, when it’s a life or death situation, people will consult the black market for their remedies. Kidney purchases are no exception.

On a related note, what right does the government have to tell people whether or not they can sell parts of their body—the most obvious “personal” property.