Can You Believe It’s Legal: Selling Human Body Parts

What if we tell you you could legally sell parts of your own body? No, we’re not talking about kidneys, lungs, hearts, or anything that might seem like the typical organs we associate with transplant surgeries.

We’re referring to the easier and more legal sale of human body parts, including hair, blood, plasma, eggs, sperm, and even skin. While these may not be the typical life-saving organs, they are still highly valuable in various medical and cosmetic industries.


Seems a bit strange, right? Yet, it’s a reality that many people may not be aware of. In fact, selling hair, blood, breast milk and other certain human body parts is legal and regulated in the United States.

In this article, we’ll discuss what human body parts can be sold, what’s off-limits, and why the rules surrounding this are so complex. Stick around as we break it all down.

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What Human Body Parts Can Legally Be Sold?

What can you actually sell? It turns out there’s a list of body parts you can legally make money from, but it’s not quite what you might expect. These body parts are mostly renewable. That means your body can regenerate them, or they don’t carry the same level of long-term risk.

  • Hair – People do it all the time for wigs and hair extensions. In fact, the hair industry is huge, with some people making thousands from long, healthy locks.
  • Plasma/Blood – Plasma is used for things like treating burns, trauma, and immune system disorders, so there’s always a demand.
  • Breast Milk – While it’s illegal to sell it for profit in many places, there are breast milk banks that help provide it to infants in need. Some mothers even sell directly to buyers online.
  • Sperm and Eggs – Sperm is commonly used in fertility treatments, and women who donate eggs are often compensated handsomely.
  • Stool – Stools can be sold for a surprising reason—gut microbes. Companies pay for poop to collect these microbes for research or fecal microbiota transplants (FMT).
  • Skin – While you can’t technically sell your skin, you can rent it out for advertising.

Why Organ Sales Are Illegal

The answer to why organ sales are illegal is complex. However, the primary reason organ sales are illegal in most parts of the world, including the U.S., is the risk of exploitation.

Selling organs could really take advantage of people in tough financial situations, pushing them to sell vital organs like kidneys just to make money. Besides the ethical concerns, there are serious health risks for the donor—surgery, rejection, and infections.

Moreover, if organ sales were legal, it could also create a divide: the rich could buy organs easily, while the poor might have no choice but to sell. Plus, it could lead to an underground human body part market in the U.S. That’s why laws like the National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA) exist—to keep organ donations voluntary and ensure no one gets exploited.

The Legal and Ethical Framework Behind Body Part Sales

Even the legal sale of human body parts, such as hair, skin, breast milk, and eggs, has regulations in place. They are not a free-for-all. Regulations and protections exist to ensure things stay in order.

Blood and plasma donations, for instance, are legal but should be regulated by entities like the American Red Cross. Plasma donors are often compensated, but strict guidelines guarantee donor and recipient safety.

There are also several, even trickier, ethical issues in selling body parts like eggs or breast milk. It can also come with more serious health risks. Women who sell their eggs have to go through hormone treatments that can cause side effects like ovarian cysts, hormone imbalances, or even infertility.

Selling breast milk can help babies, but frequent donations may harm the donor’s health, both physically and emotionally. Similarly, selling skin for ads, like tattoos or branding, can lead to infections, scars, and long-term damage while also taking an emotional toll from permanently altering the body for profit.

So, it raises bigger questions: Can you sell human body parts? Should people be allowed to profit from their own body parts? Or what legal body part sales regulations should be implied? It’s a tough balance between personal freedom and ensuring people aren’t exploited.

Types of Human Body Part Sales and Markets

These markets exist in a few different forms; some might even surprise you.

  • Blood Banks – Places like the Red Cross are constantly in need of blood donations, and some programs pay people for plasma donations.
  • Hair Donation Sites – There are a ton of online platforms where people can sell their hair. These sites connect sellers with wig makers and other buyers.
  • Breast Milk Banks – If you’re a lactating mother, you can donate your milk to these banks, though the market for selling breast milk directly can be a bit more underground.
  • Fertility Clinics – Fertility clinics are constantly looking for sperm and egg donors.

Online platforms have made these markets even more accessible. For example, there are websites where people can post their hair for sale or advertise their egg donation services. These platforms help buyers and sellers connect but also add some complexity and additional risks of selling human body parts.

Benefits and Risks of Selling Human Body Parts

The financial benefits of selling body parts are the biggest draw for many people. For low-income individuals and college students, this can feel like a lifesaver.

Selling something like plasma and sperm (which people do regularly) or even donating breast milk can bring in some quick cash. In some cases, the money can be pretty good.

Sperm donors usually earn $100-$150 per donation, and with 1-2 donations a week, you could make $400-$1200 a month. On the other hand, donating plasma could get you around $30 to $50 per donation.

Yet, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Some serious health risks are involved in frequent donations, whether hair, plasma or even breast milk. For example, while donating plasma can be relatively safe, doing it too often can lead to side effects like dehydration, fatigue, or damage to your veins. Selling breast milk and sperm can also be physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing.

But that’s not all!

Human body part sales controversy often centers around ethical concerns, such as the high potential for exploitation of vulnerable individuals. People in tough financial situations might feel pressured to donate more often than is healthy or to accept less money than their donation is worth.

Real-Life Cases and Controversies

For Ellie Houghtaling, a $10,000 donation helped bridge the gap for her Columbia University education. Egg donation offers substantial financial rewards, with women donating their eggs to help others conceive. However, she also faced the challenges of injections, medical procedures, and emotional concerns.

Virgin hair, especially rare red hair, is highly valuable, with 24 inches of red hair selling for $1,210. For example, Shelly-Rapunzel from Ohio sold 38 inches of her brown hair for $1,800 to cover medical costs. Many women auction their hair for reasons like financial needs, charity, or a style change, with some selling regularly for extra income.

While the money can be pretty great, the sale of body parts has sparked legal controversies. One notable case involved a woman in the U.S. who sued a fertility clinic after complications arose from egg donation. This led to tighter regulations on compensation for egg donors.

Future of Body Part Sales and Potential Changes in Laws

It’s possible that we could see more changes in the law. For instance, on May 11, 2023, the FDA finalized updates to blood donation guidelines for men who have sex with men (MSM).

Previously, MSM faced a 3-month deferral after sex, which began as a lifetime ban during the early AIDS crisis. The new policy replaces the categorical deferral with individualized risk assessments to reduce stigma and increase blood supply safety.

Some people argue that if more body parts could be sold legally, it would help ease the shortage of donors and save lives. This is especially true with blood donations. Others, however, worry that it could lead to exploitation and abuse.

There are also conversations about whether people should be compensated for organ donations in the future. Some countries have been experimenting with programs that offer financial incentives for organ donors, though this remains a highly debated topic.

Conclusion

Selling human body parts is a complex issue with legal and ethical challenges. While some parts like hair and plasma can be sold, selling non-renewable parts like organs is prohibited to prevent exploitation. Regulations will be crucial to protect individuals and ensure fairness and safety in the body part market.