Sadly for some DES Sons having their own children is not always possible! Many deal with urogenital abnormalities, structural and functional abnormalities in their sex organ and reproductive outcomes.
The UK National Sperm Bank, to be based at Birmingham Women’s Hospital, with spokes across England, will be offering a modern, NHS based, fully-integrated donor recruitment, screening and banking center which could deliver for all donor sperm requirements across the UK. The project has been awarded funding of £77,000 by the Department of Health.
There is currently a national shortage of sperm donors in the UK, especially in NHS clinics. Patient numbers continue to rise and treating those who need donor sperm is a major problem.
The introduction of the National Sperm Bank will reduce the number of patients putting themselves at risk by using unregulated sperm donation services. For the first time, those from ethnic minority backgrounds will be able to choose from a range of culturally matched donors. Heterosexual and same-sex couples will be able to use the service, as well as single women.
Sources and More Information:
- National Sperm Bank launched at Birmingham Women’s Hospital, NHS latest news, 24 July 2014.
- UK sperm bank to be opened in Birmingham, BBC News, 3 Aug 2014.
- National sperm bank to be launched amid donor shortage, The Guardian UK news, 3 Aug 2014.
- UK facing ‘major’ sperm shortage, BBC Health, 28 June 2014.