There’s a nationwide shortage of Black sperm donors. Here’s why

There has been a shortage of Black sperm donors and all donors of color for years, industry experts said. The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the problem as young professionals and university students, a major pool of current and prospective donors for sperm banks, left cities and were slow to return. 

Alyse Mencias, a clinic relations manager at Seattle Sperm Bank, said sperm banks know they need to recruit more Black and other donors of color, especially as families become more diverse. “I think the demand is there,” Ms. Mencias said.

Ms. Mencias, who discussed the Black sperm donor shortage on the Mocha Single Mothers by Choice podcast in April last year, said only one in every 1,000 applicants—of all races and ethnicities—makes it through the screening process, which includes genetic and infectious-disease testing, a criminal-background check and a semen analysis to ensure sperm quality.

…

Related on the SLP

Male fertility likely declining, but we haven’t figured out why Are sperm counts declining? What’s the role of ‘endocrine disruptors’?

Viewpoint: Democratic tsunami: As the red tide recedes, here are the most likely shifts in food and agricultural policy

$7.35 billion PFAS settlement: 3M to pay people who blame health problems on ‘forever chemicals’ phased out of firefighting foam for more than 20 years

Collagen supplements are not a wrinkle-reducing silver bullet, but they sure cost a lot

Mistrust of the medical system makes it more difficult to recruit Black donors, Dr. [Michael] Thomas said, adding, “There is a fear many people have about what is going to be done with their sperm and eggs.”

This is an excerpt. Read the original post here.