# I Should Be Able To Do Whatever I Want With My Body (and its bone marrow)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-should-be-able-to-do-whatever-i-want-with-my-body-and-its-bone-marrow/515642>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [October 29, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-should-be-able-to-do-whatever-i-want-with-my-body-and-its-bone-marrow/515642 "2009-10-29T19:24:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-should-be-able-to-do-whatever-i-want-with-my-body-and-its-bone-marrow/515642/21 "2009-10-30T03:03:13Z")

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Not sure what the legislative history is, but section (c) Definitions says:

> [@](#):
>
> For purposes of subsection (a) of this section:  
> (1) The term “human organ” means the human (including fetal)  
> kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas, bone marrow, cornea, eye,  
> bone, and skin or any subpart thereof and any other human organ  
> (or any subpart thereof, including that derived from a fetus)  
> specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services by  
> regulation.

So bone marrow is explicitly mentioned in the law.

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**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-should-be-able-to-do-whatever-i-want-with-my-body-and-its-bone-marrow/515642/22 "2009-10-30T03:54:48Z")

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Man, that article makes me want to donate a kidney.

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**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-should-be-able-to-do-whatever-i-want-with-my-body-and-its-bone-marrow/515642/23 "2009-10-30T18:04:28Z")

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> [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
>
> Well I have a left ventricle AND a right ventricle. And I know there are two strole and four stroke engines. They ought to be able to cobble together a two chamber heart so I can sell half of mine.

If you’re trying to suggest that one eye will not function if the other is removed, then a number of pirates want to have a word with you.

> [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
>
> On a more serious note, how about allowing insurance companies to buy organs, so they can offer it as a policy benefit if you pay a higher premium?

I’d think the insurance company would leave the actual procuring of organs to the hospitals, and the only question is whether it would cover any additional cost that such procurment might engender.

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**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-should-be-able-to-do-whatever-i-want-with-my-body-and-its-bone-marrow/515642/24 "2009-10-30T19:31:02Z")

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It’s pretty much a given that hospitals will procure the organs, no matter who “owns” them or what will be done with them.

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