HIV Positive Organ Donation and Transplantation
The concept is simple —
We aim to repeal the outdated federal ban established by the National Organ Transplant Act on the transplantation of organs from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected donors to HIV-infected recipients.
On February 14th the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act was introduced in both houses of congress. Numbered S.330 in the Senate and H.R. 698 in House, the bill would allow research into organ donation from deceased donors with HIV to recipients with HIV. Read the full text of the bill here.
The benefits of repealing this ban include:
- Everyone waiting for an organ will be transplanted faster
- More than 1,000 lives can be saved every year
- Taxpayers would save $500,000 in Medicare savings per transplanted patient
- More HIV+ patients would be referred for life-saving transplants without causing additional burden to those already waiting
Organ transplantation has emerged as the standard of care treatment for many patients who are experiencing organ failure and are infected with HIV. This is a cost-saving procedure, which has saved many lives. More than 117,000 patients are currently on the active waiting list for organ transplants in the United States, and about 50,000 are added to the list each year. However, fewer than 30,000 transplantations are performed annually. Tragically, many patients die while waiting for a transplant.
Millions of lives will be affected by reversing the federal ban: all transplant patients – HIV-infected patients and uninfected patients, their friends and families, and also the taxpayers.
- To learn more, read about the science and the law.
- Also, check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
- You can take action to support HIV-infected organ donation to HIV-infected recipients. We will post a petition online in late June. Don't forget to come back and sign it - your signature can make a difference.
- Read about HIV and AIDS in the Johns Hopkins Health Library.
Watch the Videos:
Part 1: Congresswoman Lois CappsPart 2: Dr. Dorry Segev - Johns Hopkins Transplant Surgeon
Part 3: Dr. Richard Moore - HIVMA Board Member & Johns Hopkins Infectious Disease Clinician
Part 4: Dr. Peter Stock - UCSF Transplant Surgeon
Part 5: Mr. Joel Newman - UNOS
Part 6: Mr. Tom Lane - 2-time kidney transplant recipient