National effort to educate African Americans about importance of organ/tissue donation launched in November

Armed with a survey showing that 8 out of 10 African Americans do not know the importance of speaking to a loved one about their wish to become an organ donor, a national effort to change that lack of understanding was launched in November.

Interestingly, the national survey also revealed that 92% of those surveyed, said they would be likely to donate if they were aware of their loved one's wishes and nearly half (47%) would not be likely to give consent if that person had never discussed his or her wishes to donate.

The survey was commissioned by The Links, Inc., a Philadelphia-based not-for-profit organization of 10,000 women of African American ancestry with 274 chapters around the world. The educational effort is being led by The Linkages to Life Organ, Tissue and Bone Marrow Donation Awareness Program, now in its fourth year, conducted by The Links and Roche Pharmaceuticals.

The Links and Roche kicked off the national public education effort by distributing thousands of "conversation starter guides" at organ donor awareness church events on National Donor Sabbath November 13.

"The need for the African American community is especially great since 27% of the people on the organ transplant waiting list are black - more than double their representation in the general population," said Devon John, MD, assistant professor in transplant surgery at the New York University Medical Center. "Marking your driver's license is not enough in most states - family members are routinely consulted about donating a loved one's organs after that person has died."

Here are some of the results of the national survey of 300 African Americans commissioned by The Links and conducted in June 2005.

*A majority of respondents (60%) have not had a conversion with their families about their desire to become an organ donor.

*The most common reason (72%) for not having the conversion is "no reason at all or not thinking much about it."

*Three quarters (74%) see helping a family member as a reason to donate, while more than half (58%) cite helping a friend.

*Of those respondents who were resistant to donate, 29% cited current medical conditions making them ineligible, 23% didn't want their body "cut up or disfigured", 20% were afraid that their organs would be "taken before death" and 17% "don't trust the medical system" and were concerned that they "wouldn't receive the best medical treatment if a donor."

*Half the respondents (49%) think that African Americans have a greater need for organ transplantation than other ethnic groups, while 40% think it is the same as other groups.

*Many respondents recognized that alcoholism (63%) and diabetes (59%) are conditions that could lead to the need for a transplant, while few cited obesity (28%).

For a full report of the survey results and additional information on the Linkages to Life national donor public education program go to: www.linksinc.org

COPYRIGHT 2005 Transplant Communications, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2007 Gale Group