Chinese Women Look Abroad for Sperm Donors Amid China’s Shortage

Chen Yun (Front) walks past Dr. Liu Jiaen (Rear) as she arrives for vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment at a hospital in Beijing on April 24, 2016. China’s decision to allow married couples to have two children is driving a surge in demand for fertility treatments. Andy Wong/AP

Now that Beijing allows couples to have more than one child, the shortage of sperm donors is highlighting the need for more sperm donors amid a fertility crisis and short supply of sperm in China. In 2015, Shanghai-based Xinmin Evening News reported that local couples may have to wait two to three years for donor sperm.

The human sperm bank in China’s Fujian Province began trial operation on July 13. It is the 28th registered sperm bank in China.