Clinics face crisis over sperm donation figures
The UK faces a sperm donor shortage and new recruitment strategies are urgently required, says a leading IVF clinic. Doctors at the Newcastle Fertility Clinic at Life (sic) studied sperm donation at their centre between 1994 and 2003. Their findings give an insight into the little-known market for sperm.
Of 1101 men who applied to be sperm donors, fewer than 4% were accepted. Most were rejected because of sub-optimal sperm quality. Most of the accepted donors were students (67%), unmarried (87%) or without a partner (62%). Each made an average of 45 deposits.
The average number of applicants declined throughout the period, with a sharp fall after 2000, probably because of concerns about the removal of donor anonymity. From April 2005, IVF children will have a right to know the identity of their genetic parents.
- Prescribe morning-after pills to young teenagers, say US pediatric group - November 30, 2012
- Bahrain sentences protest docs to prison - November 28, 2012
- Terry Pratchett assisted suicide documentary wins International Emmy - November 27, 2012
More Stories
The mouse with two dads, no mum
Using stem cell technology, scientists in Japan have succeeded in breeding mice with two fathers and no mother. Katsuhiko Hayashi,...
Belgian euthanasia chief explains 10% rise
Why are more people resorting to euthanasia in Belgium? The number of cases of euthanasia in Belgium rose by 9.85%...
Romanian doctors harvested pacemakers from dead patients – and reused them
An occasional reminder that doctors are not exempt from participating in dark and dodgy get-rich-quick schemes might not go astray....
Making Victorian euthanasia easier
The first legal euthanasia in the Australian state of Victoria took place on July 15, 2019. Almost four years later,...
Should bioethicists hold a conference in Qatar?
FIFA’s choice of Qatar for the 2022 World Cup sparked huge ethical controversies. What about its abominable record on migrant...
Should slavery be invoked in debates about embryos?
A Virginia judge has referred to an 1849 statute about ownership of slaves in his deliberations about the fate of...