There are not enough Hungarian sperm donors

Though at least 1,000 donors are needed in Hungary per year, there are only a few dozens. Therefore, the country has to import it. Experts say that the fertility rate is not lower in Hungary than the average, but most men do not know how many people they could help.

“Help others to have a family,” says the call on the website of the biggest Hungarian sperm bank. However, despite the campaign, there are only a few men who donate, and their number decreases every year. And this is not because their fertility is lower than their Western-European counterparts or because they do not receive money for the procedure (on average, 150-200,000 HUF, EUR 500-650). Experts say that the reason is the lack of solidarity, hvg reported.

Meanwhile,

the number of infertile couples is rising.

Therefore, clinics have to import sperm from abroad, which makes the system insecure. For example, in 2015, the National Public Health and Medical Officer Service banned all imports because of a genetically wrong sample from Denmark, and the prohibition lasted until 2018 when the Curia abolished the decision.

Today, at least 15 pc of Hungarian couples are struggling with sterility. So, the system needs 1,000 donors per year, but because of the 2015 decision, there was not only a deficit on the market but

ongoing processes had to be stopped, too.  

As a result, many Hungarian couples turned to foreign doctors and, though thanks to the decision of the Curia, their number decreased already in the last year, there are still hundreds of them who are being treated in Czech, Ukrainian, or Spanish private clinics. Many desperate single women order sperm directly from the United States and do the insemination at home, which is, of course, very dangerous.