Britain Calls for More Sperm Donors Amid Shortage

[GodlessBiker]

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 12, 2008

Filed at 3:53 p.m. ET

LONDON (AP) -- Britain is facing a sperm donor shortage after reversing confidentiality laws and limiting the number of women who can use sperm from one donor, fertility experts warned Wednesday.

Britain in 2005 changed the law protecting anonymous sperm donors and allowed children to learn the identity of donor fathers -- one reason, fertility experts say, there are fewer donors now.

''The only countries that seem to have enough sperm are those that pay -- like the U.S. and Spain -- or the countries that retain anonymity,'' said Allan Pacey, a member of the British Fertility Society that warned of the shortage in the British Medical Journal.

''In the countries that have removed anonymity ... there seems to be a problem,'' he said.

In 1991, Britain logged 503 sperm donors, according to figures from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. In 2000, there were 325, and in 2006 -- the year after the law was changed -- the number dropped to 307.

Experts say 500 donors a year are needed to cope with the number of couples needing donor insemination in Britain.

For the rest of the story, go here: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-EU-Britain-Sperm-Shortage.html

[Love Bug]

1. Must. Resist. Obvious. Joke....

[Berry Cool]

9. Which one? There are about a million.

"Welcome to the UK Sperm Bank. Substantial Penalty for Early Withdrawal"?

"Boy, this puts a whole new spin on the concept of bank failure"?

They write themselves...

[GodlessBiker]

2. My only criminal conviction: Making an unauthorized deposit at a sperm bank.

[meegbear]

4. ...

:rofl:

I was gonna do the spray one but ....

[NightWatcher]

3. I'll volunteer for a US outreach project

[razors edge]

5. Instructions included

:thumbsup: :thumbsdown: :thumbsup: :thumbsdown: :thumbsup: :thumbsdown: :thumbsup: :thumbsdown: :thumbsup: :thumbsdown: :thumbsup: :thumbsdown: :thumbsup: :thumbsdown:

[Parche]

6. I have enough for the whole United Kingdom

:rofl: :spray: :rofl: :hi:

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. "I am master of my domain"

I am king of the country and Lord of the manor


NOT

[provis99]

7. I believe that D.H. Lawrence quotation is appropriate here:

"They've got white of egg in their veins, and their spunk is that watery it's a marvel they can breed. They can nothing but frogspawn the gibberers. Why, why, why, was I born an Englishman!"

D.H. Lawrence, anticipating the British sperm donor shortage

[shadowknows69]

10. What are they paying?

I have a lot of free time.

[GodlessBiker]

11. Free use of a magazine and an unlimited supply of Dixie cups.