Action in the Bundestag

Politicians get organ donation tattoos

SPD politician Stefan Schwartze had his consent to become an organ donor tattooed on his skin.(Bild: facebook.com/stefan.schwartze)

Several members of the Bundestag have drawn attention to the issue of organ donation with a tattoo campaign in the German Bundestag. Together with the German government's patient representative, Stefan Schwartze (SPD), who initiated the campaign together with the Young Heroes association, the MPs had a so-called organ donation tattoo inked on Thursday.

According to Schwartze, the aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of the issue of organ donation. It is the first tattoo for him. "In all likelihood, it will also be my only one. But it's something that I identify with 100 percent and that literally gets under my skin," said the SPD politician before getting the tattoo on his left upper arm.

Will to donate recognizable at first glance
The idea for the tattoo, called OPT.INK, came from the Young Heroes association. The project was launched just over a year ago, with around 700 tattoo studios across Germany taking part, said Anna Barbara Sum, co-founder of the association. The tattoo should make the will of the person in question immediately recognizable with regard to a possible organ donation. According to the association, without written consent, relatives have to make a decision after death. However, they often reject organ donation due to a lack of knowledge about the deceased's presumed wishes.

Legal validity only through signature
However, according to a spokeswoman for the Federal Center for Health Education, the tattoo is not a legally valid form of documentation of the decision to donate organs. "The documentation only becomes legally valid with a personal signature, be it on an organ donor card, a living will or an informal document". Nevertheless, a tattoo can be seen as an expression of will and, if there is no other written documentation, can help in the decision-making process, the spokeswoman said.

Since March, declarations of willingness to donate organs can also be documented digitally. Since then, people from the age of 16 can enter in a central online register whether or not they are willing to donate after death.

The objection solution applies in Austria
In Austria, the legal situation is different - the so-called objection solution applies here. The removal of organs after death is generally permitted, provided the deceased did not object to organ donation during their lifetime.