First-person consent for organ donation pertains to adults.

• A. It applies to minors only
• B. It is a non-binding pledge
• C. It requires family consent
• D. It is a legally binding decision for adults to donate upon death

Answer: (D)

First-person consent means the individual has explicitly documented their own decision to donate organs after death. This is a decision made by the adult and, in many organ donation systems, is treated as binding authorization that healthcare teams honor. The key point is autonomy: when an adult registers to donate, that choice stands as their legally valid directive, even if family members have objections. This aligns with how adult consent is treated in many programs, recognizing that adults have the authority to determine what happens to their bodies after death.

Minors involve different consent dynamics, so saying it applies only to minors isn’t accurate. A non-binding pledge would not reflect the legal weight of a registered consent. While families are often involved in the discussion, the registered adult donor’s decision is the operative consent, not a requirement that family members also consent.