USA: A sperm bank in New York City is running out of its supply after a ban on European sperm

Record ID: 561974

  • Title: USA: A sperm bank in New York City is running out of its supply after a ban on European sperm
  • Date: 1st October 2007
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALEXANDRA SOISETH, SPERM RECIPIENT, SAYING: "Having my daughter be Danish is a kind of tender thing for me because my mother's Danish and she's so far away and the idea that we'll just sort of carry our line on is touching to me."
  • Embargoed: 16th October 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Health,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA2LK644133JD53673I6YDZG46Z
  • Story Text: A sperm bank in New York City specializing in Danish sperm is running out of its supply after a ban on the import of European sperm. In response, many of its clients, who are mainly of Northern European descent, are stockpiling the Scandinavian sperm.
    The FDA ban which came into effect in 2005 stems from the Mad Cow Disease scare and its human variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. No man, under the law, who has lived in the UK for more than three months between 1986 and 1996 or in Europe for more than five years since 1980 can donate his sperm.
    "We of course have some sperm left that are donated before May 25, 2005 but that's it - we're not getting any more Danish sperm," said Claus Rodgaard, the President of Cryos International New York.
    This is bad news for Alexandra Soiseth, who has a three-year old daughter whose father is a Danish donor named "Olaf". She promptly bought more of his sperm in case she wants to have another child. She stressed the importance of having a child of Danish descent.
    "Having my daughter be Danish is a kind of tender thing for me because my mother's Danish and she's so far away and the idea that we'll just sort of carry our line on is touching to me," said Soiseth.
    Cryos International is now reaching out to American donors to replenish its dwindling supply.
    "We've seen some great guys show up and I'm thrilled to now be able to accept American donors. And what's actually going to happen is we have a shortage of sperm in Europe so we are going to start sending sperm the other way," said Rodgaard.
    Rodgaard expects the Danish sperm to run out by the end of the year.
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