Do issues such as race or wealth affect the availability of or access to an organ transplant?
No. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) matches donated organs with critically ill patients on the national waiting list. Medical urgency, length of time on the waiting list, severity of illness, and issues of compatibility such as blood type, tissue match, and body size are considerations in determining who receives a transplant. Factors such as race, gender, age, income, or celebrity status are never considered when determining who receives an organ transplant; additionally, buying or selling organs is against the law. However, organ size (which can be affected by gender) is critical to match a donor heart, lung or liver with a recipient. Genetic makeup can be a factor when matching a kidney or pancreas donor and recipient, because of the importance of tissue matching within those two organs. Optimal tissue matching can happen within the same racial and genetic background. However, cross-racial donations can and do happen with great success when matches are available.
