Beijing sperm bank requires donors be loyal to the Party

“To the sperm bank, comrade!”

A Beijing hospital has hit the news lately for apparently requiring that donated sperm be “red” — figuratively speaking, of course.

On Wednesday, the Third Hospital of Peking University launched a new sperm donation campaign, posting a list of requirements for potential donors to its social media accounts.

According to the notice, donors must be between 20 to 45 years old, be in gold health, with no genetic or infectious diseases of any kind, and showing no signs of hair loss, color blindness, or weight problems.

Oh, there’s just one more thing: Donors must “love the socialist motherland and embrace the leadership of the Communist Party… be loyal to the party’s cause and be decent, law-abiding citizens who are free of any political problems.”

Men who fulfill all of these criteria will then need to pass two rounds of testing, which check the quality of their sperm, as well as their general health and fitness. It’s not clear how applicants will have their love of the Communist Party and socialist motherland put to the test.

One doctor told the South China Morning Post that, in fact, there will be no additional tests for political requirements. “It would be fine as long as you consider yourself suitable,” the doctor said.

Those who manage to pass the tests (generally less than one-quarter do), and successfully donate will receive 5,500 yuan as a reward, according to the notice, which has since been deleted.

While China may have an excess of men, it always seems to be experiencing a shortage in sperm, particularly following the end of the “one-child” policy. China’s laws about sperm donation and, according to the AFP, there are only 23 sperm banks in the entire country.

In the past, these banks have tried to encourage donations by offering the newest iPhones as a reward. 

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