The center, set up by the Chengdu Family Planning Technical Guidance Agency four years ago, has so far helped four couples have babies. But there are more than 400 sterile women waiting for fertilization, said Huang Ping, director of the sperm bank.

"The biggest problem we are facing is the lack of suitable donors," said Huang.

A complicated and strict health check process put off many high-quality donors, Huang said. The whole process can last as long as half a year, with as many as 20 factors requiring checks.

"Potential donors are usually busy men and many of them live outside of Sichuan Province," said Huang. "They have little time to spend on this."

More importantly, Huang said, social attitudes toward sperm donation made many potential donors think twice.

The bank has been a controversial topic since it was first set up, not only because of the sperm donation, but also its special emphasis on elite sperm.

According to the center, qualified donors fall into three categories: those with academic degrees equal to associate professor or above, sports or entertainment stars, and high-ranking managers or bankers.

Besides their social status, donors must be aged under 60 and be healthy, with no familial trace of congenital disease.

The country has been using human-aided reproduction technology since 1982. The demand for the services has become enormous, as about 10 percent of couples of childbearing age are estimated to suffer from infertility, according to the Ministry of Health.

Experts estimate that about one million couples want to try the services, and the figure is likely to rise due to environmental pollution and changes in modern lifestyles.

(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2003)