Altruism in death: Attitudes to body and organ donation in Australian students.

ABSTRACT: Health education, research, and training rely on the altruistic act of body donation for the supply of cadavers. Organ transplantation and research rely on donated organs. Supply of both is limited, with further restrictions in Australia due to requirements for a next-of-kin agreement to donation, irrespective of the deceased's pre-death consent. Research suggests health workers are less likely to support the donation of their own bodies and/or organs, despite recognizing the public good of donation, and that exposure to gross anatomy teaching may negatively affect support for donation. Attitudes to body and organ donation were examined in Australian students studying anatomy. Support for self-body donation (26.5%) was much lower than support for self-organ donation (82.5%). Ten percent of

SUBMITTER: Jenkin RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10084255 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature