P.145: Religion and organ donation in Brazil.

Abstract

Grant #2017/19822-1, São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP). The opinions, hypotheses, conclusions and recommendations expressed in this material. are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAPESP. Background: Brazil has the largest public transplant system in the world (Ministry of Health, 2015). However, Brazilian data are worrying, with 32,402 people on the waiting list and only 10,629 potential donors (ABTO, 2017). In Brazil, the decision to donate organs is made by the consent of the potential donor (LEI 10.211 / 2001). In addition to the fact that religion has been identified as a factor that hinders the decision to donate organs (Kent; Owens, 1995; Morgan et al., 2008, Mostafa, 2010; Wakefield et al., 2010; Zarghami, 2018). For Vitell, Singh and Paolillo (2007), religiosity is oriented to the personality of the individual, corresponding to how much people associate their beliefs and attitudes with the religion they practice. Methods: Fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted with participants from five Brazilian states to identify factors that influence the family conversation about organ donation. Results: The results converged predominantly to religion, followed by fear of medical malpractice and fear of the body becoming unrecognizable as the main reasons that hinder the donation of organs. Concerning religion, the participants claimed to be unaware of whether or not they favored organ donation: “I was a Protestant, but I do not know the position of the church on this,” “I believe that some family members may regard the body as sacred, which cannot be tampered with” and “My family is very Catholic and I thought that if you die you have to come back the same way you came”. In addition, they pointed out the social role of religions: “The influence of religious leaders is very great”, “Religion can influence more, be present, encourage, omission leaves a loophole for people to think what they want” and “enough if it was debated in the church, clarifying the population on the subject, but I do not see this being done in any”. Conclusions: In Brazil, the religions with the highest adherence are favorable to organ donation. The Catholic Church represents 64% of the Brazilian population (CENSO, 2010) and realizes the importance of letting family members know that an organ donation is an act of charity and a genuine testimony of those who know how to look beyond death (Benedict XVI, 2007). Future research may analyze the application of public policies with religious leaders clarifying and contributing to the promotion of organ donation.