Event: The social and ethical challenges of sperm banking
May 2, 2012
May 5, 2012
Changsha, China
In both China and Europe, male infertility is reportedly on the rise. Growing numbers of involuntarily childless couples are therefore faced with having to decide whether they will opt to live without children, adopt or seek a sperm donor. In China alone, an estimated 2.5 million couples are in this situation. Moreover, in some European countries, donor insemination has been legalised for single and lesbian women giving rise to ‘fertility tourism’ between European countries. And finally, over the last decade, many European countries have prohibited anonymous donation of sperm. As a result, sperm banks in China and Europe as a whole are facing a shortage of sperm donors, as insufficient numbers of donors are being recruited to meet growing demand.
