Tough standards at N China's sperm bank

Only three people out of 22 qualified to donate their sperm after physical examinations at Hebei Human Sperm Bank, the Hebei Youth Daily reported Thursday.

A worker stores sperm samples at Hebei Human Sperm Bank. [File Photo/Hebei Youth Daily]

The bank received 22 volunteers in the first month it opened, becoming the 14th sperm bank in China.

The standard for sperm donations based on China's Ministry of Health (MOH) is higher than that of World Health Organization (WTO), which led to fewer people passing the test, said Zhao Bangrong, director of the sperm bank.

The standard for sperm concentration at China's Ministry of Health is four times higher than that of WTO, and only one man failed to meet the WTO standard, Zhao said.

The bank, based in the city of Shijiazhuang, is a non-profit organization that collects, detects, preserves and provides sperm.

According to statistics, one in eight couples in China have trouble bearing children and 10 percent of them are due to sperm problems, the report said.