The article was published in TheMarker magazine on 03.08.21 by Gali Levita Leibowitz.
Read the full article here: https://www.themarker.com/labels/fertility/1.10076710
In recent years, there has been a large increase in the demand for sperm donations in Israel, coming from the open-mindedness and willingness of women to have children as single mothers, and also as a result of infertility and the proliferation of same-sex couples. Along with demand two problems arise: the first is the quality of the sperm. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, as part of a study conducted among sperm donors in Israel in the years 1995–2009, during which 2,182 sperm samples from young and healthy donors were examined, 35.5% of 90 who applied for a donation were rejected due to poor sperm quality. It also shows that throughout the study period there was a significant decrease in sperm concentration and motility. Another problematic issue is the difficulty in obtaining quality sperm donors, as explains Dr. Alon Kedem, director of the sperm bank Herzliya Medical Center and a senior physician in the IVF unit of Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh): "There is a difficulty in obtaining quality sperm donors In Israel and around the world, which meet the needs in terms of the integrity of sperm tests and compliance with all genetic criteria. If a decade ago the genetic order included 3-5 genes, today we are talking about 300-800 genes, data that creates a situation where 80% of donors are carriers of one gene or another. "Sometimes the donors are also carriers, so it is important to create a genetic match between the donor and the receiver." To continue reading, click here.