“If something happens to me, I would like my organs to be donated to someone who needs them” : this is the useful phrase to say so that those close to you are able to make a decision when the time comes. But it’s also a complicated subject to tackle: talking about your own death is scary. Fact, only 47% of French people have transmitted their directives, underlines the Barometer of organ and tissue donation 2023.
Only 28% of people questioned by the survey know what the law says on the subject: as a reminder, if you do not specify during your lifetime that you are against organ and tissue donation (by registering on a dedicated register or by notifying your relatives), you are automatically considered a donor.
Why do some oppose it?
That said, 80% of French people are in favor of donation, against 16% who oppose it. Among the reluctance, there are various reasons: mainly religious, cultural, ethical or moral. But also the fact of considering oneself ineligible (too old, in poor health), or even that of preserving the integrity of one’s body.
Among those who refuse to give, 6% do not feel concerned. However, organ donation is as much an individual choice as a societal choice, recalls the Biomedicine Agency, hence the slogan: “All donors, all recipients“If we are all potential donors, we are also all likely to one day need a donation to survive an illness, an accident… To increase the number of transplants, to simplify the procedure: Tell your loved ones your position on this.
Source: Biomedicine Agency press release, January 7, 2023.
