Body donation

The donor may be required, but not always, to make prior arrangements with the local medical school, university, or body donation program before death.

[6] Studies indicate most donors are primarily driven by altruism and their desire to aid the advancement of medical knowledge and to be useful after death.

[8] However, a US study showing a positive correlation between body donation numbers and funeral cover cost savings offered as compensation suggests that, in reality, the added incentive could be a persuasive factor for donors.

In Germany, the right to autonomy extends beyond death, as a result of which the instructions given by a deceased during their lifetime must be respected when dealing with their body.

[16] Nowadays, many people in India donate their bodies after death by signing a pledge form with two accompanying witness signatures.

[citation needed] Body donation is not regulated through licensure and inspection by the federal government and most states.

[18][19] The legal right for an individual to choose body donation is governed by the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, which has been largely adopted by most states.

Laws relating to the transportation and disposition of human bodies currently apply, regardless of the recent House Bill introduced.

[citation needed] The American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) provides accreditation to non-transplant tissue bank research and education programs to establish that the level of medical, technical, and administrative performance meets or exceeds the standards set by the AATB.

Whole body donation and non-transplant tissue banking remains an industry with limited regulation, and while it is not a legal requirement, accreditation allows for individuals choosing to donate their body to medical research or education programs to choose a program with the highest quality standards.

AMERA encourages the industry to become accredited and involved in establishing standards that are relevant to non-clinical tissue organizations.

[citation needed] Many medical programs in the United States now hold student-led memorial services for the donated bodies.

Generally, programs will not accept bodies that are positive for hepatitis (A, B, and C), HIV/AIDS, history of illegal drug use, or fall within an extreme category for their BMI.