WASHINGTON, Aug 13, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A ban on European sperm bank
imports is causing problems for U.S. women trying to conceive a second child
with Nordic donors.
The United States instituted the ban in 2005 because of concerns about the
transmission of the human form of mad cow disease, The Washington Post reported.
Now women who conceived a child with a Nordic donor and are seeking to have
another a child have to fly to Europe to find a match.
Before the ban, California Cryobank in Los Angeles and Cryos International in
New York City imported sperm from Denmark.
"The demand was huge," Peter Bower of Nordic Cryobank of Copenhagen told the
newspaper. "In addition to being tall and well educated, their motivations for
donation are quite sincere -- they want to help childless couples. They tended
to sell out very fast."
Nordic Cryobank has petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to lift the
restrictions.
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Copyright 2008 by United Press International