Infertility: 'Why I Am A Sperm Donor'

An informative ad about one man's decision to become a sperm donor, and his experience of the approval process. The campaign is by the European Sperm Bank (ESB), founded in 2004 with private equity and headquartered in Denmark. The ESB says that a major Danish research project indicates that the sperm quality of young Danish men is so poor that 15 percent will struggle to make their partner pregnant without help from fertility treatment. "This is the world's largest study of sperm quality, the message is clear: the situation is dire," says chief physician Niels Jørgensen, first author of the scientific paper about sperm quality published in medical journal British Medical Journal Open. The concept of sperm donation - which may previously have prompted scorn or laughter, or simply been looked down on - is being transformed nowadays, largely because of a surge in the fertility market. Infertility is a multi-faceted issue that is finally emerging from the taboo shadows as it becomes more generally recognised that global fertility rates in both men and women are falling (fertility rates are not the same as live birth rates). As reported by The Lancet medical publication, fertility rates are higher in low-income environments, and lower in high-income settings. One of the most well-known solutions is in vitro fertilization (IVF), in which sperm and eggs are combined 'outside the humans and then transferred to a woman's body for pregnancy. Though success rates are still low - from 4% to 32% depending on age, as reported by Britain's Naitonal Health Service (NHS) - and an average of five or six (often expensive) cycles are required for a successful pregnancy, IVF continues to evolve as an option.Or, as critics may say, an industry. While the private treatment market soars - the global fertility market was valued at US$34·7 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to 62·8 billion in just 10 years, according to The Lancet - compensation for individual egg and sperm donors varies from country to country. They are, however, compensated for their service and their expenses in what are generally rigorous screening processes. What do you think of this ad, presenting the altruistic motivation behind donation?

Keywords: European Sperm Bank 'Why I Became A Sperm Donor', infertility, sperm donation, Denmark, Fertio, fertility treatments Europe