“Can I get paid to donate a testicle?” is a question many men who want to make easy money ask.
After all, people can earn money by donating body parts like bone marrow, hair and of course blood plasma.
I’ll explain the facts — as well as the fiction — behind this concept.
Table of Contents
Why Testicle Donation is Needed
I’d like to tell you upfront that the demand for testicle donation is very rare.
That being said, it’s needed for men who either lost their testicles or were born without them.
In fact, the first successful transplantation occurred in 1978 when surgeons transplanted a testicle from one man with two functioning ones to his identical twin brother, who was born without them.
A testicle donation could benefit men needing them by:
- Helping them maintain testosterone levels without needing hormone replacement therapy
- Boosting their self-esteem
- Fathering children (Keep in mind that with this procedure, the recipient would sire a child with the donor’s DNA rather than his own.)
- Aiding in research for treatments to combat diseases like testicular cancer
Note that these benefits are theoretical since the research behind them is currently in the preliminary stages.
Let’s move on to requirements for prospective donors.
Requirements
If you were to donate a testicle, researchers would want you to meet the following criteria:
- Genetic compatibility: Like in other types of organ donation, you and a recipient need compatible DNA for a successful transplantation.
- Sperm count: A typical sperm count is around 15 to 200 million per millimeter of semen. (Analyzing the components of semen — like shape, sperm count, and viability — is essential for procedures that might enable a recipient to father children.)
- Testicular size: Though it can vary from individual to individual, testicular width is about 3cm, and length is approximately 4cm. (In some cases, both the left and right testicles can differ in size.)
- Good health: Potential donors have to be free of illnesses/diseases to prevent passing pathogens to recipients.
Next, I’ll explain ways you can aid researchers in their work.
Ways to Donate a Testicle
There aren’t any specific locations where you can get paid to donate a testicle since demand for it is low for the time being.
As of now, the only way you can (possibly) earn compensation is through medical trials offered at a testicular research center and other similar facilities. (They’re not donation-related, but many involve researching cures/treatments for cancers and infectious diseases.)
Here are a few sites where you can search for any available trials:
Now, let’s cover how much money you could make from this.
How Much Do You Get Paid to Donate a Testicle?
Due to NOTA (The National Organ Transplant Act), you can’t directly make money by donating a testicle.
But, some medical trials may compensate you for your time and/or cover expenses like food, travel, and lost wages.
Nevertheless, there are rumors claiming you can earn between $35,000 and $50,000+ for testicle donation.
One rumor involves someone named Mark Parasi, who appeared on an episode of Extreme Cheapskates in November 2013 to get $35,000 by taking part in a medical trial where he would have one of his testicles replaced with a prosthetic.
Another rumor entails medical schools offering $50,000+ for a testicle.
A Snopes.com article debunks the dubious stories with these facts:
- The researchers who wanted to work with Parasi only requested a testicle in order to replace it with an artificial one, a process that doesn’t entail donation. (Furthermore, there aren’t any reports that Parasi and researchers carried out the experiment.)
- The idea that someone could earn money by donating their body parts goes way back to the end of World War II when many people thought medical schools like Harvard Medical School would pay for donated bodies. (While Harvard Medical School’s Anatomical Gift Program accepted body part donations to fulfill the wishes of individuals who demanded it in their wills, it never paid for them.)
These stories show that you shouldn’t believe something that sounds too good to be true.
Also, the reality is that the compensation amount for testicle donation is unknown since it’s an uncommon procedure.
Testicle Donation FAQ
Here are some commonly asked questions about testicle donation.
Are there risks that come with testicle donation?
Yes, some of them include:
- Decreased testosterone levels
- Infection
- Depression
- Infertility
- Blood loss
- Pain and/or swelling
Is there a high demand for testicle donation?
No; for now, it’s limited to medical research trials.
Can I donate a testicle if I have certain medical conditions?
Donors have to be in good health to donate a testicle (or any organs), or they risk infecting a recipient with an illness or disease.
Is it possible to regrow a testicle after donating one?
While it can’t grow back like hair or nails, you can replace it with a prosthetic, though it’s an expensive procedure that costs about $2,000 to $3,000 per implant.
But according to an article I came across, it seems to be in the works.
The experiment involved growing testicles from testicular stem cells to help men produce sperm and sire children.
Testicle donation doesn’t seem like a good way to make money. Are there other ways I can make money from donating a part of my body?
I can name a couple: sperm donation and plasma donation.
With sperm donation, you can help an individual or a couple start a family. (You earn about $100 per donation.)
Plasma donation aids in saving patients who suffer from burn and trauma injuries. (The compensation is between $20 to $50+ per visit.)
Final Words: So, Can You Earn Money by Donating a Testicle?
After conducting some research, it seems possible in theory but very rare in practice.
In other words, you’d have better luck winning the lottery than getting money for testicle donations.
However, there is a chance that the demand for it may increase in the future, especially with new scientific breakthroughs.
For now, just look out for an opportunity through a medical trial, and you might get paid to donate a testicle sooner or later.
