National Sperm Bank Has Just Nine Donors

Britain's national sperm bank has just nine donors almost a year after it opened to try and alleviate a shortage, it has been revealed.

Chief executive Laura Witjens said it could be five years before the centre, which is based at Birmingham Women’s Hospital , has enough donors.

Ms Witjens told The Guardian she is hopeful more people will sign up, but admitted a change in approach when it comes to advertising could have a big impact.

She told the newspaper: "If I advertised saying 'Men, prove your worth, show me how good you are', then I would get hundreds of donors.

"That's the way the Danish do it.

"They proudly say, this is the Viking invasion, exports from Denmark are beer, lego and sperm.

"It's a source of pride."

Ms Witjens said only a small number of men make it through the screening process and become a donor.

"If 100 guys enquire, 10 will come through for screenings and maybe one becomes a donor,” she said.

"It takes hundreds of guys."

The facility is a collaboration between the National Gamete Donation Trust and Birmingham Women's Hospital.

During its first year the centre was funded by a £77,000 Department of Health Grant, but from now on it will be independently financed.

When it was launched, the hope was to have 1,000 regular donors within three years.

In 2005 the rules on anonymity for donors were changed, meaning they are no longer entitled to anonymity.

Once the sperm is collected, it is delivered to clinics across the country when needed.

A sperm sample costs £400, but the NHS pays for this if patients meet the guidelines for free treatment, according to the trust.

The centre hopes to one day have "an abundance of donors", Ms Witjens said, but she warned that increasing the £35 paid for donations was not necessarily the way to achieve this.

"We might get more donors if we paid £50 or £100 per donation," she said.

"But money corrupts.

"If you feel you can make £200 a week for four months, you might hide things about your health."