A 23-year-old amendment to the National Organ Transplant Act bans organ transplants from people with the H.I.V. virus. The ban was passed at the height of the AIDS scare in 1988, “when infection with the virus was considered a death sentence”, states Pam Belluck for the New York Times. “But now many people with H.I.V. are living long enough to suffer kidney and liver problems, adding to the demand for organs,” thus opening a whole new discussion between health authorities: Should H.I.V.-infected organs be available for transplant, primarily for patients infected with the virus but also potentially for some who are not?
“The clock is ticking more quickly for those who are H.I.V.-positive,” said Dr. Dorry Segev, transplant surgery director of clinical research at Johns Hopkins and a co-author of a new study indicating that 500 to 600 H.I.V.-infected livers and kidneys would become available each year if the law were changed. “We have a huge organ shortage. Every H.I.V.-infected one we use is a new organ that takes one more person off the list.”
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health agencies, announced the NYT, are about to issue new guidelines that will encourage a first step: research involving transplanting H.I.V.-positive organs into H.I.V.-positive people. However, that would require the transplant ban to be lifted.
Dr. Kathleen Squires, chairwoman of the H.I.V. Medicine Association, a professional group, said her organization and other medical groups would lobby Congress this year to lift the ban.
Here, at Red Hot, we’re very glad to see action in the HIV/AIDS movement and we’re looking forward to the research that will come of this. We have our fingers crossed!
I’m a 23 year old heart transplant recipient and have been surrounded by all of this stuff. The whole idea of using H.I.V. infected organs is an interesting question to present. Not sure what to think… I could see older individuals in need of transplant possibly going through with it, but for someone of my age I’m not sure. Difficult… Would I have taken a chance with an infected heart? Honestly, probably not. I think most people would ideally want to avoid an infected organ, but when left with no other choice, I think that I would probably go through with it.
I like this article. Makes me think a lot about what I would’ve done and what I may have to decide on in the future. Thanks for the article.
Conrad, thank you so much for your comment. I’ve been trying to put myself in your situation since I read it, and attempting to see it from your eyes, which quite obviously results difficult but truly makes me appreciate your input on this.
I’m extremely glad this article was able to reach you, and like I mentioned in the article, we’re looking forward to future research on this topic. Hopefully more safe opportunities for a greater amount of people!