China Needs More Sperm

New York Times (June 13, 2016): China's Call to Young Men: Your Nation Needs Your Sperm, by Javier C. Hernández:

Styling it as an important contribution to society, the Chinese government is doing all it can to encourage young men to donate sperm.  The country faces severe shortages, and about half of the current volunteers are screened out. 

The enticements to donate run the gamut, including coveted iPhones and cash along with messages of patriotism and exhortations to help China deal with its aging population.  Culturally, though, donating sperm and using donated sperm are hard to sell.  Men in China associate semen with vitality and are reluctant to give any away.  Couples struggling with fertility are many times uncomfortable using an unrelated man's sperm to conceive.