Sperm bank seeks donors that ‘embrace Communism’

BEIJING: A sperm bank in Beijing has insisted that would-be donors “love the socialist motherland and embrace the leadership of the Communist Party”.

Posting a list of requirements for donors on its social media account, the Third Hospital of Peking University said they were also required to be “loyal to the party’s tasks, be decent, law-abiding and be free of any political problems”.

To be successful, they also had to be over 20 years old and show no signs of hair loss, colour blindness or weight problems.

They were put through two rounds of tests – one which checked the quality of their semen and one for general health and fitness.

Those who passed the tests could expect to be paid 200 yuan (RM127) immediately and 5,500 yuan once they successfully donated their semen.

Donors will need to donate around 10 times in the space of six months to ensure there is an adequate supply for artificial insemination.

There did not appear to be a test to check donors’ political loyalty.

A doctor on the hospital helpline told the South China Morning Post that no additional tests would be conducted for political requirements as long as donors considered themselves “suitable”.

The ad, widely mocked on social media, was later removed.

The demand for donated sperm surged after Beijing relaxed its onechild policy in 2015, allowing two children in most families, according to a report by Beijing Youth Daily from 2016.

China bans the sale of human semen and women looking for fertility treatment must use nonprofit sperm banks. – The Independent