Spilling your guts on Facebook is nothing new, but donating your organs?

Image: Flickr

Yes folks, Facebook that vital gossip centre is now allowing Aussies to donate organs via the network.

And your organ donor status will be displayed for all to see – if you wish.

Launched in the US and UK last week, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Hon. Catherine King MP, joined with The Social Network  to launch a way for Aussies to start a conversation about becoming an organ and tissue donor.

From today, Aussies can now indicate that they have registered as an organ and tissue donor on Facebook’s Timeline and the information will appear in the news feeds of their FB friends, Ms King said.

“It is vital that all Australian families know each other’s’ donation wishes as the family will always be asked to confirm the organ and tissue donation wishes of the deceased before donation for transplantation can proceed.”

Research by the Organ and Tissue Authority show 1 in 4 Aussies have never discussed their donation wishes.

Facebook is an important tool for increasing awareness of organ and tissue donation, with the DonateLife Facebook page now having close to 50,000 fans.

To indicate you are a registered organ and tissue donor on your Facebook Timeline, click on “Life Event”, select “Health and Wellness” and choose “organ donor”.

If you have not registered on the OZ Organ Donor Register, click on the “sign up here with the appropriate registry” link to make your decision to be an organ and tissue donor official.

The Facebook Timeline does not replace the need for Australians to register their decision to become an organ and tissue donor on the Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR), however.

The AODR ensures your donation decision can be verified 24 hours a day, seven days a week by authorised medical personnel, anywhere in Australia.

“What’s consistently amazed us over the past eight years is how people use the power of sharing and connecting on Facebook to address issues and challenges in their communities,” said Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg.

“We believe that the new organ donor tool can help drive broader awareness about organ and tissue donation and prompt more families to discuss their donation wishes.”

However, Facebookers can choose how public they wish to keep their organ status – share with just friends, friends of friends, or they can keep the information private.

For more information please visit www.donatelife.gov.au or email facebook@n2n.com.au.

But this is just the first of philanthropic moves Mark Zuckerberg’s network is making, saying “we hope to build tools that help people transform the way we all solve worldwide social problems.”