Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Las Vegas man 'excited' to sell testicle for $35,000 as part of medical trial

Mark Parisi participates in medical trials that can pay five figure sums

Heather Saul
Tuesday 05 November 2013 12:13 EST
Comments
'Mark' has said he is "anxious" and "excited" about a testicular study where he would donate one of his testicles for $35,000 (£22,000)
'Mark' has said he is "anxious" and "excited" about a testicular study where he would donate one of his testicles for $35,000 (£22,000) (TLC )

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A Las Vegas man has said he is "excited" and "anxious" at the prospect of selling one of his testicles for $35,000 (£22,000) and having it replaced as part of a medical trial.

Mark Parisi told TLC network's programme 'Extreme Cheapskates' that he hoped to be accepted onto a medical trial where his testicle would be removed and replaced by an artificial one.

He has already taken part in paid medical studies, including one that involved the Ebola virus, where Mr Parisi was paid $5,000 and monitored for a week in an experiment never tested on humans or animals before.

His willingness to participate in medical trials is party motivated by the access to free medical check ups they provide him, which can cost upwards of $700.

He also told the broadcaster that he had been hoping to participate in a "flatline" medical trial, which would involve stopping his heart from beating momentarily, but the US Food and Drug Administration prevented the study from proceeding.

“What they do is they stop your heart for one minute, but you still breathe. Stay there 14 days, pays $25,000. But the FDA kind of stepped in and stopped that,” he explained.

The episode is due to air on the TLC network on Wednesday.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in