What Are the Disadvantages of Donating Your Body to Science?
The short answer: The main disadvantages of donating your body to science are practical and emotional, not medical. Your family cannot hold an open-casket viewing or bury your full body. They will get back fewer cremated remains than after a regular cremation, and some programs take months or even years to return them. You also cannot choose which school, company or research project receives your donation, and acceptance is only decided at the time of death. None of these is a reason to avoid donation. But each one is easier on your family when you know about it ahead of time and plan for it.
We are a whole body donation program, so we have a stake in this question. That is why this guide sticks to what Arizona law says and what our own FAQ publishes, and why each drawback comes with what you can do about it.
The disadvantages at a glance
| Disadvantage | Why it happens | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| No open-casket viewing or burial of the body | The body goes to the program soon after death and is cremated after donation | Plan a memorial service, or a closed-casket service with the cremated remains |
| Fewer cremated remains | Parts used by medical programs are usually cremated separately and not returned | Ask the program what to expect before you enroll |
| Remains can take time to come back | Some programs keep donors for long study periods | Compare return times between programs |
| No say in where the body goes | Programs match donors to the institutions that need them, sometimes outside the U.S. | Read the consent form closely and ask how placements are chosen |
| Acceptance is not guaranteed | Eligibility is confirmed only at the time of death | Keep a backup plan with a funeral home or cremation provider |
| Family disagreement or faith concerns | Relatives may not know or share your wishes | Talk with family and your spiritual advisor now, and write your wishes down |
| You must trust the organization | Oversight differs by program and by state | Check the program’s state license and get answers in writing |
No viewing, and no burial of the body
For many families, this is the hardest part. Medical education and research need the body soon after death. That rules out the usual funeral home timeline of embalming and visitation.
At SWIBA, our FAQ explains that an open-casket viewing is not possible because the donation process is extensive. All SWIBA donors are cremated, so a traditional burial of the body is not an option either. A closed-casket service with the cremated remains inside the casket is possible, and families can hold a memorial service at any time. University programs have similar limits. The University of Arizona Willed Body Program says viewing is not possible once a donor arrives. Families who want a private viewing must arrange it with a funeral home before transport, at their own cost.
What helps: Decide now what kind of goodbye your family wants. Many families hold a memorial service right away and a second, smaller gathering when the cremated remains come home.
Fewer ashes, and they take time to come back
Families are often surprised by how much less comes back. When parts of a donor are used by several medical programs, those specimens are usually cremated where and when the work ends. At SWIBA, cremated remains of the donor are returned to the next of kin at no charge, but our FAQ is clear that families receive fewer cremated remains than after a traditional cremation. The cremated remains of specimens used by medical programs are not available for return, because of the time frames and logistics involved.
Timing also varies a lot from one program to the next:
- SWIBA: donors are usually in our care for a few days, and cremated remains are usually returned within a few weeks.
- University of Arizona Willed Body Program: final disposition may take up to two years, and cremated remains that are not returned are scattered by the program under Arizona law.
What helps: If a quick return or a specific memorial date matters to your family, ask each program for its typical timeline before you enroll, and ask how the family is told when the remains are on the way.
You don’t choose where or how the body is used
This is the drawback people think about least, and it may matter most to your values. Most programs, including SWIBA, cannot promise a donation will go to a particular school, a particular disease or a particular kind of research. At SWIBA, donors are usually matched with several medical education and research institutions, both nationally and internationally. These can include universities, government agencies, medical device companies and private medical institutions.
Arizona’s rules for licensed donation organizations require the consent form to state the intended use and how the donated tissue may be used. It must also include a statement that the tissue will be treated with dignity, and a statement that it may need to be exported to an end-user in another country (Arizona Administrative Code R9-9A-201). The same rule requires a unique ID number that tracks each donation through final disposition.
What helps: Read the consent form before you sign it, not after. If certain uses would trouble you, ask the program directly whether it can honor that. If it can’t, a different program may suit you better.
Acceptance is never guaranteed in advance
Pre-registering does not lock in acceptance. Programs make the final decision at the time of death, based on the body’s condition and current needs. At SWIBA, eligibility is decided case by case, and almost anyone can qualify regardless of age or health. An autopsy does not automatically rule out donation. Still, certain conditions can lead a program to decline, and it helps to know what can disqualify a body donation before the moment comes.
What helps: Ask the program what happens if it declines your donation. Give your family the name of a funeral home or cremation provider to call as a backup, so a “no” doesn’t turn into a crisis.
Family feelings, disagreements and faith
Some relatives find body donation hard to accept, especially if they hear about it for the first time after a death. Grief can come back again when the cremated remains are returned weeks or months later.
Arizona law gives real weight to your own decision. If you make the anatomical gift yourself, for example by pre-registering, a person other than you generally cannot revoke or change that gift after your death, unless you said otherwise (A.R.S. § 36-847). If you never made a gift, Arizona sets out who may make one for you after death. The order starts with your health care agent, then your spouse, adult children and parents. If members of the same group disagree, for example your adult children, a majority of those who are reasonably available decides (A.R.S. § 36-848). In practice, your family will still be the ones making the calls on the day, so their understanding matters as much as the paperwork.
Faith is personal too. As our FAQ notes, most religions are supportive of whole body donation, but traditions differ on matters like burial and the timing of funeral rites, so check with your spiritual advisor.
What helps: Tell your family before you enroll, not after. This guide on how to talk to your family about whole body donation can help you start, and you can also give them a copy of your registration.
You have to trust the organization
Once you donate, you rely on the program to treat your body with respect and to tell your family the truth. Legal commentators have described serious abuses by loosely regulated body brokers in other parts of the country (Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy). That history is a fair reason for caution.
Arizona does regulate this field. A donation organization must hold a license from the Arizona Department of Health Services, renewed every two years, with some exemptions (A.R.S. § 36-851.01). Licensed organizations must track every donation and keep consent records. Even so, a license is a minimum standard. The rest of the trust comes from how openly a program answers your questions.
Ask any program, including ours, whether it is a nonprofit or a for-profit company, who pays it, and how donations are placed. SWIBA answers all three in SWIBA’s body donation FAQ. SWIBA is a for-profit, self-funded organization paid directly by the institutions it supplies. For a full checklist of the questions to ask, see our guide on how to choose a whole body donation program in Arizona.
When body donation may not be the right fit
Donation is a generous choice, but it is not the right choice for everyone. It may not fit if:
- An open-casket viewing or burial of the full body is essential to you or your family.
- You want your gift used only by one specific school or for one kind of research.
- Your faith requires burial of the whole body or a funeral within a set time.
- Close family members are strongly opposed and are unlikely to cooperate when the time comes.
- You may die outside Arizona. SWIBA pays for transportation within Arizona, and the University of Arizona program only accepts deaths in Arizona, so ask before you enroll.
You can also change your mind. In Arizona, a donor can amend or revoke a gift with a signed record, by destroying the document of gift, or, during a terminal illness, by telling at least two adults, one of whom is a disinterested witness (A.R.S. § 36-845). Tell the program as well.
What balances the drawbacks
For many Arizona families, the drawbacks are worth it. Donated bodies train medical students and surgeons, help companies test implants and surgical devices, and support research into diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cancer. Donation can also remove a large expense at a hard time. At SWIBA, there is no cost to the donor or family. SWIBA pays for cremation at an approved funeral home or crematory, transportation within Arizona, filing of the necessary paperwork and shipping of the cremated remains. A custom urn or a memorial service is not included.
If those benefits matter to you, read more about how SWIBA’s whole body donation program works and weigh them against the trade-offs above.
Frequently asked questions
Can my family stop my body donation after I die?
Under Arizona law, if you made the anatomical gift yourself, a person other than you generally cannot revoke or change it after your death, unless you said otherwise (A.R.S. § 36-847). Talking with your family ahead of time is still the best way to make sure your wishes are carried out smoothly.
Can my family donate my body if I never registered?
At SWIBA, yes. Our FAQ explains that the legal next of kin can consent after death, although we encourage everyone to pre-register. Some programs, such as the University of Arizona Willed Body Program, only accept donors who enrolled before death.
Will we get all of the ashes back?
Usually not. Families receive fewer cremated remains than after a traditional cremation, because specimens used by medical programs are typically cremated separately and are not returned.
Can we still have a funeral?
Yes, with limits. An open-casket viewing is not possible after whole body donation. Families can hold a memorial service at any time, and with SWIBA a closed-casket service with the cremated remains inside the casket is an option.
Talk to SWIBA
If you are weighing these trade-offs, we are glad to answer your questions honestly, including the hard ones. Call SWIBA any time, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at 1 (800) 723-3031. When you are ready, you can pre-register with SWIBA.