# Make organ donation the default choice?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-organ-donation-the-default-choice/110400>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [May 23, 2002, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-organ-donation-the-default-choice/110400 "2002-05-23T00:01:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-organ-donation-the-default-choice/110400/21 "2002-05-24T18:55:01Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Mangetout \*  
> **But we are quite happy to let the medical profession make assumptions in other areas (For example, I believe that consent to perform a medical procedure may be assumed in certain cases, otherwise we’d be stuck with “I know you’re unconscious and bleeding to death, but could you just sign this consent form, so we can operate and save your life?”).**

[minor hijack]

The term is “implied consent”. IIRC it only applies to life threatening emergencies where you are unable to grant consent. It is assumed that you would want to live, so they try to save you. This along with things like the Good Samaritan Act are what allow much of what allows EMS personell to do what they do as freely as they do.

[/minor hijack]

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-organ-donation-the-default-choice/110400/22 "2002-05-24T23:33:26Z")

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I did go on to address that difference in a subsequent post.

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