If a bill sponsored by Rep. Lois Capps is signed into law by President Obama, HIV-positive Americans could eventually receive and donate organs from and to others who are HIV-positive. The HOPE (HIV Organ Policy Equity) Act, passed in the House last week and approved by the Senate in June, would order the Department of Health and Human Services to monitor research into such transplants — both transplants and research on such transplants have been banned since 1988. If the research supports it, such transplants would be allowed between HIV-positive-to-HIV-positive patients, increasing such patients’ organ donation pool by 500-600 donors.
