What goes on in a sperm bank?

Ana P. Santos

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What goes on in a sperm bank?
In Denmark, the typical sperm donor is 26-years-old, single and a student. About 20% of the donors are already fathers

COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Vikings. Lego blocks. Bikes. You can add another thing that Denmark is known for: sperm.

“The demand for Nordic sperm is definitely increasing,” said Annemette Arndal-Lauritzen, Chief Executive Officer of the European Sperm Bank (ESB). 

Typically tall, lithe (presumably because of all that biking), and good-looking, Danish men possess genetic traits that score high points for aesthetics.

“If you think about what you dream about in a partner – tall, blond and blue-eyed – then Danish men would fit that profile,” Arndal-Lauritzen explained.

Quantity, quality and ease of access to sperm donor profiles are additional factors that are driving the demand for Nordic sperm and the services of the ESB.

Quantity and quality

The European Sperm Bank has over 400 sperm donor profiles. In comparison, other sperm banks would have around 20-50 donor options, said Arndal-Lauritzen.

It took years of careful selection and screening for the European Sperm Bank to build their sperm donor profile to this number. While there are no societal taboos associated with donating sperm – many Danish men reportedly see it is as their altruistic duty – just because you want to donate sperm, it doesn’t mean you can automatically be a sperm donor.  

Out of an estimated 100 applicants, about 95% don’t make the cut. Approved donors would have had gone through a screening process that requires sperm checks, medical check-ups, and thorough interviews to build a donor profile.

It is a screening process that takes about 2-3 months and all approved donors are asked to commit to making donations for at least one year.

The typical sperm donor is 26-years-old, single and a student. About 20% of the donors are already fathers.

Global reach

For women or couples exploring conception through a sperm donor, the ESB has a hotline to answer questions and guide them through the donor selection process. 

Once a selection is made, the sperm can be shipped anywhere in the world directly to the buyer or to their preferred clinic.

“We have agreements with clinics in many different countries. We ship the sperm to the clinic and it’s available when the couple comes in for their treatment,” said Arndal-Lauritzen.

Infertility 

At the Women Deliver conference that ran from May 16-19 in Copenhagen, majority of the discussions focused on strategies to address women’s unmet need for contraception and inability to plan and control their fertility. The unmet need for contraception disproportionately affects women in developing countries.

However, parallel discussions highlighted the magnitude of the unmet need for the prevention and care of infertility.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), infertility is a global health issue affecting between 48.5 and 186 million couples of reproductive age 

Dr Ian Askew, WHO Director of the Department of Reproductive Health and Research, spoke about the medical, psychosocial and economic impact of infertility for both men and women.

The WHO led a discussion with partners to outline strategies that would position infertility care and prevention in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals under the universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services. 

Conception through sperm donation can be an option for couples with fertility issues and an increasing number of women who are choosing to become single mothers.

With the cost of purchasing donor sperm ranging between EU239 – EU490 (P12,427 –P25,478), it’s a pretty good deal.

“It’s a lot easier than going into a bar and figuring out what man to use,” said Arndal-Lauritzen.  Rappler.com

Ana P. Santos, Rappler’s sex and gender columnist, attended the Women Deliver 2016 conference in Copenhagen, Denmark as a media scholar. Women Deliver is the largest gathering of health experts and advocates working to advance the sexual reproductive health rights of women and girls.

*EU1 = P52

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Ana P. Santos

Ana P. Santos is an investigative journalist who specializes in reporting on the intersections of gender, sexuality, and migrant worker rights.