"These women in the southern Indian town of Villivakkam, nicknamed 'kidney village,' each traded a kidney for cash. In their 20s at the time, married, and eager to pay off crushing family debts, they were easy marks for transplant agents who promised 50,000 rupees—about a thousand [U.S.] dollars—for an organ. The women got half the money in advance, but after their kidneys were removed, the rest of the fees were never paid. India has outlawed commerce in human organs, though that has not stopped the trade."
—From "Inhuman Profit," September 2003, National Geographic magazine
Get a year of outstanding photos like this—order National Geographic magazine and get a free gift.
