Sperm Donation Not 'Taxable Labor' for Danes

US running low on popular 'Viking' sperm, barred by Mad Cow safeguards

(NEWSER) - FDA rules banning European sperm imports are driving some would-be American mothers to desperation, the Washington Post reports. Sperm from Danish donors used to be a popular import. But regulations to safeguard the US from a human form of Mad Cow disease have shut down the supply and sperm banks are running low. Critics say the policy is unreasonable. More»

Infants born this year will be lucky, successful, wanna-be parents believe

(NEWSER) - The dragon is one of the luckiest and most powerful signs in the Chinese zodiac, and people born in the year of the dragon—which runs from today to Feb. 9, 2013—are supposed to be strong and successful. So many Chinese and Chinese-Americans are going to extraordinary lengths to ensure they have a baby born this year, reports the Wall Street Journal . One Los Angeles-based fertility clinic says it has seen a 250% increase in business in January from people of Chinese heritage, and an egg-donation clinic in Beverly Hills has also seen a 250% jump in egg contracts. More»

Some are altruistic, some just want sex—but all could cause problems later

(NEWSER) - Free sperm donors abound on the Internet, and they’re trying to help those who can’t have a baby the traditional way—or can’t afford the traditional sperm donation. They range from Trent, a 6’1” blond who says “a spirit of volunteering to the community” motivates him, to Ted, a 51-year-old protesting the commercialization of sperm donation. But Ted, and others like him, could also be “putting the public at risk,” one doctor tells DoubleX. More»

Calif. firm features donors who look like Ben Affleck, Seth Rogen

(NEWSER) - Having trouble narrowing down your choice of sperm donor? Perhaps it will help you to know—as it did one mom-to-be—that one option is a Freddie Prinze Jr lookalike. “For me, that clinched it right then and there,” she tells MSNBC. “I’ve always found him attractive!” Thanks to California Cryobank, you can now select a sperm donor who resembles Ben Affleck, Chan Ho Park, Seth Rogen, or even Jackass star Steve-O. More»

(NEWSER) - Some couples are unable to conceive because the woman's eggs screen his sperm for DNA quality and give it a thumbs down, the Independent reports. Scientists in Britain and the US have spotted this "lock-and-key" mechanism in which eggs "read" sperm's DNA, most of which is tightly packed inside. If tests are developed, this research could help couples understand their infertility and ensure the success of vitro fertilizations. More»