Organ Donation by Suicides: Sex and Ethnicity

Abstract

An analysis of 2,034 actual organ donations by suicides for the years 2008–2010 indicated that women were more likely to be donors than were men and Blacks more likely to donate than were Whites. The sex difference was consistent with the responses of men and women to surveys of the general public about their willingness to become organ donors, but the ethnic difference was the reverse of the responses to surveys of the general public about their willingness to be organ donors. Future research should explore the role of the responses, positive vs negative toward organ donation, of the significant others of those dying from different causes of death, and the extent to which people have signed donor cards.