In recent months, China's sperm banks have seen an influx of men coming to donate sperm. Sperm banks in multiple provincial-level regions, such as Yunnan, Shaanxi, Beijing, and Shanghai, have been calling on healthy men and college students to donate. The sudden increase in donations comes after decreased collections due to Covid curbs. While the drive to get more sperm donations has triggered concerns of a shortfall in supply and rising male infertility rates, experts have debunked these concerns. This article explores the reasons behind China's sperm bank drive and what it means for the country's population.
Sperm banks are critical in helping couples who want children but cannot conceive due to fertility issues or genetic disorders. However, the drive for sperm donations in China has sparked concerns over a shortfall in supply and rising male infertility rates. While local media reports have picked up the story of a nationwide sperm donation drive, Chinese internet users have latched onto the statistic that only 20% of the donors had qualified, prompting chatter about whether men in China are becoming less able to have children.
Data from the largest sperm bank in China, the Reproductive & Genetic Hospital of Citic-Xiangya, showed that the probability of qualified sperm from donors was 17.7% in 2015, a third of what it was in 2006. However, experts have highlighted that calls for sperm donations are not evidence of declining male fertility.
Huang Chuan, deputy director of the sperm bank, stated that the drop in the qualified rate does not represent an overall change in sperm quality for all men. The decline in qualified semen can be attributed to the poor habits of college students, who make up the majority of sperm donors. It may just be temporary, Huang explained. "This doesn't directly indicate a decline in male sperm quality."
The National Supply of Donated Sperm
Experts have also rebutted speculation online that China is running out of donated sperm, saying the total amount stored in sperm banks across the country is actually greater than needed. There's still a large amount of semen stored in China's sperm banks, which can fully meet patients' needs, said Zhang Xinzong, director of the Guangdong Human Spermbank.
Zhang said before 2011, couples who sought the facility for help had to wait in line for a long time, but over the past few years, the supply at the sperm bank has improved significantly, and there are now 80,000 donor sperm samples stored. "Even if we do not take any collections over the next three to five years, the supply is enough," he said.
Zhu Wenbing, director of the Citic-Xiangya hospital's sperm bank, stated that the national demand for donated sperm "should have reached saturation." The annual utilization of samples in his sperm bank has dropped by nearly half over the past few years.
Regional Imbalances
While experts said that national supply is fine, some flagged that imbalances exist regionally, especially in provinces where sperm banks have not been long established or are not large enough. Coupled with the impact of three years of Covid controls that made it difficult for college students to donate semen, the amounts stored in these facilities may be temporarily insufficient.
The experts suggested tackling the issue by facilitating nationwide sperm distribution, which they say could also reduce the risk of getting paired between close relatives. Such pairings have an increased risk of genetic diseases in newborns.
Sperm needs to be stored in liquid nitrogen, which is banned from being carried on airplanes, for transport, Zhang said. Many sperm banks and fertility centers may prefer to use sperm within their own provinces because of the cumbersome process of applying for special permission to transport it, he said.
The Wider Population Decline in China
The speculation around a shortfall in supply and rising male infertility rates plays into the wider national anxiety over a population decline in the country. China's population decline is the first in six decades and could lead to a continued decline in an already shrinking workforce and take a toll on the economy.
While experts have debunked concerns over an overall supply shortfall and rising infertility, some have highlighted that a regional imbalance in sperm supply still exists and suggested that there should be some rethinking about the role sperm banks play in mitigating China's population decline.
Seeking Transformation
As China's population ages and shrinks, and couples of childbearing age are less willing to have children, industry insiders said the primary role of sperm banks could be shifted from serving infertile couples to preserving people's fertility.
China currently allows all men to freeze their sperm, and married women to freeze their eggs. But while most sperm banks in the country allow men to store their own sperm there for later use, they face problems such as low participation and low utilization of these samples.
One group that could be targeted to preserve their sperm are cancer patients. Li said it's beneficial for cancer patients to preserve their fertility because cancer treatment can affect their fertility. He also recommends freezing the sperm of healthy men who don't currently want to have children but are concerned about their declining fertility in the future.
Li said in Sichuan province alone, about 5,000 men have undergone fertility preservation, with about 1,000 each year in recent years. Still, there is room for improvement. "We still lack fertility preservation awareness," he said.
Conclusion
While the drive for sperm donations in China has sparked concerns over a shortfall in supply and rising male infertility rates, experts have debunked these concerns. The national supply of donated sperm is adequate, and regional imbalances can be tackled by facilitating nationwide sperm distribution. As China's population ages and shrinks, some experts suggest that the primary role of sperm banks could be shifted from serving infertile couples to preserving people's fertility. China currently allows all men to freeze their sperm, and married women to freeze their eggs, but more needs to be done to improve fertility preservation awareness.