Fellow classmates, This one has been around for years! What's funny is that this was a myth long before the internet. Please read this myth thoroughly, it is unfortunate that ignorance is cutting off support to those who really need transplants. I know of two people who have had transplants, I thank God every day for this wonderful scientific breakthrough. You can read about this for yourself at: http://www.nonprofit.net/hoax/default.htm. At the bottom of the home page, click on more hoaxes to take you to this article. Transplant and organ donation myths As with any new technology, rumors, myths and misunderstandings about organ transplantation are wide spread. Frustration produced by the high cost, the effect of the organ donor shortage, and the unavailability of transplantation throughout most of the rest of the world have probably contributed to this. Since rumors can often be more entertaining than the truth, tabloid media will often pick up and help spread them, despite the great harm they cause. Urban legends about organ transplantation are uniquely dangerous since organ transplantation can not succeed without the participation and support of the majority of the population. Bad press, urban legends, even fiction portraying organ transplantation as somehow evil, all have prevented full support for donation and led to the death of people who might otherwise be leading productive and happy lives now. Another factor fueling the proliferation of myths is the unfortunate institution in India of payment for unrelated live kidney donation that preys on the poor in that country. While it may be true that the Indian medical community is not required to abide by western standards of ethics, neither is the US medical community required to interact with them, train their physicians, publish their research, etc. Its past time that the US medical community started taking visible responsibility for influencing transplantation ethics in foreign countries. Mani, M.K., Renal Transplantation in India. (1992) Transplantation Proceedings, 24:1828-9. Kott, Andrea., Organ Procurement Programs in State of Emergency. Medical World News Feb 1992, v33n2, p. 15-16 The black market myth: In all the time that the rumors of a black market, kidnapping and murder of children, organ-swiping, and other atrocities have been circulating (since at least 1982), there has never been any evidence to substantiate any of them. "Your potential is a great deal better than anyone will ever permit you to believe" L. Ron Hubbard Robin Mingus Lansing, Michigan mingusrobin@xxxxxxxxx ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for earth-friendly autos? Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Yahoo! Autos' Green Center. http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/