By Deng Jingyin (
Global Times)
08:30, September 07, 2012
Beijing faces a shortage of sperm donors, with couples having to wait up to two yearsfor fertility treatment at the capital's only sperm bank.
The problem is too few donors are coming forward, said a researcher surnamed Zhaoat Beijing's sperm bank in Haidian district, which is run by the Research Institute ofNational Population and Family Planning Commission.
The sperm bank receives 20 donors a day at most, but normally fewer than 10.
"The number of sperm donors has declined in recent months, but the demand is stillthere, so we hope more volunteers will come to donate," Zhao said.
Many people started to question the safety of sperm donation after a medical studentfrom Wuhan, Hubei Province, died at a sperm bank shortly after making a donation inFebruary 2011.
According to the regulations set by Ministry of Health, only healthy men between 22and 45 years old can donate sperm once in their lifetime.
"Foreign people and gay men are not allowed to donate sperm in China," Zhao saidwithout giving any further explanation.
Experts have claimed that it is completely safe to donate sperm.
"It's safe to give sperm in China. Donors are given health instructions during theprocess," Chen Zhenwen, a professor from the research institute of the family planningcommission told the Global Times Thursday.
He pointed out that supply cannot keep up with demand because donating sperm is stilla very sensitive topic for Chinese people, instead of people thinking it is dangerous togive the donation.
"The main problem facing sperm donation is confidentiality. We have to keep thesource of the sperm a secret, otherwise it may cause social problems," Chen said.
A sperm donor who is also a Beijing college student told the Global Times that he iswilling to make more donations if possible, as he will be paid, as well as getting a freehealth check. The donor will be tested, including for HIV over some weeks, prior tomaking the one-time only donation.
"I was paid 3,000 ($472) yuan 'allowance' for undergoing the process which lastedseveral months. I don't think it will endanger our health or even our life," said thestudent.
Beijing's sperm shortage reflects a nationwide issue, after a family planning official inGuangdong Province appealed for more donors to do their civic duty on Tuesday.
China has only 22 sperm banks, and more than 10 percent of couples experienceinfertility, the director of a sperm bank in Jiangxi Province told the Global TimesWednesday.
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