Sperm shortage-Donors are paid VND150,000 ($9.3) per deposit

Dr. Vu Thi Bach transfers embryos during an in vitro fertilization procedure at the Tu Du Obstetric Hospital in HCMC
A lack of sperm donations at HCMC’s premier fertility center has left infertile couples desperate to conceive by any means necessary.
Ho Chi Minh City’s leading fertility center in the Tu Du Obstetric Hospital reports that it’s facing a severe lack of donor sperm for couples and single women trying to become pregnant.
According to doctors at the hospital’s Infertility
Department, the amount of viable sperm available has been lacking since the sperm bank first opened its doors in 2005.
Dr. Le Tan Canh says that traditional Vietnamese society is generally unfamiliar with the process of sperm donation and there is a marked lack of public education and awareness about the issue.
“In other countries, sperm donation is publicized like blood donation. If people care about those who suffer from infertility, the situation needs to improve,” he added.
Dr. Ho Manh Tuong, meanwhile, says most Vietnamese men are reluctant to donate sperm because they may be embarrassed or discouraged by what they believe to be complicated procedures.
Doctors report that the situation is getting worse as more couples than ever before are reporting infertility problems and seeking donor sperm.
According to Dr. Vuong Thi Ngoc Lan, one in every six couples of reproductive age now suffers from infertility and around 110 couples are in need of donor sperm every month.
According to vice manager of Tu Du Obstetric’s Infertility Department Tran Hanh, “Every day, on average, around 100-200 patients visit our department for examination. On March 17, for example, we had to examine around 250 patients.”
The center specializes in helping women become pregnant using both in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination procedures.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a technique in which egg cells are fertilized by sperm outside the woman’s womb, generally in a petri dish.
The fertilized egg is then transferred to the patient’s uterus.
Artificial insemination (AI) is the process by which sperm is placed into a female’s uterus or cervix using artificial means rather than by natural copulation.
Recent research shows the world’s infertility rate averages from 14-20 percent, while Vietnam’s rate is currently 13 percent affecting both males and females.
To address the problem, the sperm bank at Tu Du Obstetric Hospital has come up with a creative solution: single females and couples wishing to access the bank’s sperm supply must also bring along another man to make a deposit.
And to avoid a complicated situation, “It is the department’s practice not to allow female patients to use sperm from the men they have introduced to the bank,” said a doctor at the clinic.
Unfortunately, according to one local newspaper, the system appears to be working sluggishly at best and just 60 percent of the “acquaintance” deposits have met the hospital’s standards for safety and quality.
In 2007, out of hundreds of men who donated their sperm, or applied to donate their sperm, just 81 met the hospital’s health and safety standards.
On average, most couples wait at least one year to receive donor sperm and even then, there is no guarantee the woman will become pregnant.
Tuong says that out of desperation, many couples turn to private clinics where safety and health guidelines are not carefully regulated.
“This can be extremely risky,” he adds, and sperm donors may not be closely screened for genetic disorders or disease.
Experts say sperm should be frozen and stored for a minimum of six months at a reputable clinic to be sure the donor is healthy and will not transmit disease, like HIV, to female recipients.
In 2006, the success rate of AI using the clinic’s donor sperm was 25 percent with nine women becoming pregnant.
The clinic’s 2006 success rate for IVF, meanwhile, was 35 percent, with 24 women becoming pregnant that year.
The success rates for 2007 were 21 percent for AI and 42 percent for IVF.
FACTS ABOUT SPERM DONATION AT TU DU OBSTETRIC HOSPITAL IN HCMC
■ Donors must be between 18-45 years old■ Donors must have completed ninth-grade■ Donors must be screened for sexually transmitted diseases and mental disorders■ Donors must have healthy, motile sperm■ Donors can be single or married■ The cost per use of donor sperm from the bank is VND3 million (US$186)■ Donors are paid VND150,000 ($9.3) per deposit
ed note: thinking 9 bucks a deposit...forget I'm over 60.