Despite high demand, kidneys donated by Black Americans are more likely to be thrown away. Here's why

Kidney Transplants and Racial Disparities #

Kidney disease is a major public health issue in the US, with Black Americans being disproportionately affected. They are three times more likely than white Americans to develop kidney failure. Despite this, Black Americans are less likely to receive kidney transplants. One contributing factor is a flawed system that wrongly assumes kidneys from Black donors are more likely to fail. This leads to higher rates of discarding kidneys from Black donors, wasting a valuable resource. Racial classification should be disregarded in evaluating donor kidneys to reduce waste and address the ethical implications of this practice. Research is focused on identifying genetic factors rather than race to improve transplantation outcomes.