Demand for US Sperm on the Rise

From Chile to Sweden, people around the world want more and more of our ... sperm? That is indeed the case, according to the Daily, which reports that demand for American men's genetic material has climbed as much as 40% over the past five years. "In the last three years, we have shipped to about 60 countries," says a rep for the world's biggest sperm bank, California Cryobank, which sold $23 million worth of the stuff last year. Britain, Canada, France, Israel, and Australia are among the US' biggest sperm customers.

Why the climbing demand? "It’s driven by the social changes—single women and lesbian couples being recognized around the world as people that should be able to have children and raise families," says a Cryobank rep. But other countries' rules and restrictions make American sperm an attractive option. Among the US-related advantages: a better developed network of banks and laws that help boost the donor pool. The US allows for anonymous donation (not so in Australia, Canada, and parts of Europe); OKs compensation of up to $500 per donation (Australian men are paid significantly less); and has loose limits on the number of women that can use a single donor's sperm (not the case in France and Sweden). Click through for the Daily's full piece. (More sperm stories.)