BEIJING - Extending the Chinese Communist Party's control over the lives of citizens even further, would-be donors to the capital's sperm banks have been told they have to fulfil a list of criteria in order to to be considered, one of which is loyalty to the party.
In a sperm donation campaign launched on Wednesday (April 4) and running to May 23, the Third Hospital of Peking University listed requirements for donors on its social media account, reported The South China Morning Post.
It's not enough for the donors to be in good health, the hospital says they must have "favourable political qualities".
"(The donors must) love the socialist motherland and embrace the leadership of the Communist Party," the notice said. "(He must) be loyal to the party's tasks, be decent, law-abiding and be free of any political problems."
Would-be donors also must be over 20 years old and show no obvious signs of hair loss, colour blindness or weight problems.
There will be two rounds of tests - the first for checking the quality of their semen, and one for general health and fitness.
Clearing the test will result in the donor being paid 200 yuan (S$41.83) immediately, to be followed by another 5,500 yuan for those who successfully donate.
As far as the donors' political leanings, however, a doctor on the hospital's consultation line said no additional tests would be conducted.
"It would be fine as long as you consider yourself suitable," said the doctor.
Donors are required to donate their sperm around 10 times in the space of six months to ensure an adequate supply for artificial insemination.
Demand for donated sperm has soared in China since Beijing relaxed the one-child policy in 2015, according to a report by Beijing Youth Daily from 2016.
The wait for IVF treatment could sometimes be more than a year, partly due to a shortage of suitable donors. Less than 20 per cent of donated sperm has been deemed suitable for use, according to the report.
The sale of human semen is banned in China, and women must use non-profit sperm banks for fertility treatment. It is also a requirement for the families using sperm banks to prove that the husband is infertile or could transmit genetic diseases.
