Many people have misconceptions about organ donation and being an organ donor. Take this true/false quiz to see how some of the major myths stack up.
My religion opposes donation.
All major religions - Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism - support organ donation.
It costs money to donate.
It costs nothing to donate
I'm too old, or too young to donate.
Anyone can be considered. If you are 18 or older you may MARK YES. If you are 14 to 17 you may sign up for the Iowa Donor Registry at
iowadonorregistry.org with written permission from a parent or guardian.
I'm too sick to donate.
Let the doctors decide! Currently, only a positive HIV test will rule you for organ, tissue and eye donation.
Doctors will let me die so they can give my organs to others.
Doctors who treat patients at the time of death have nothing to do with donation or transplantation. Every effort is made to save the patient's life before donation is considered.
It's hard to sign up.
When the clerk at the driver's license renewal desk asks if you wish to be an organ donor, just say yes. As of July 1, 2007 the "YES" on your driver's license is all it takes to give legal consent for organ, tissue and eye donation in Iowa.
Wealthy people can buy organs.
It's a federal crime to buy or sell organs and tissues. Organ allocations and distrubution is based on medical criteria including blood type, severity of illness and how long a person has been on the waiting list. It's impossible to buy a place on the waiting list.
Donation is painful for the donor's family.
Studies show that donation usually offers immediate and long-term consolation for grieving families.
Transplants don't really work. They are experimental.
Americans receive about 20,000 solid organ transplants and 450,000 tissue transplants each year. Transplantation is a standard medical procedure, and survival and success rates are extremely high.
