Nordic Sperm Shortage: US Bans Imports Due to Mad Cow Disease

  • Thread starter Math Is Hard
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In summary, the sperm bank had run out of vials from Peterson's donor and could not get more, because of restrictions health officials have instituted to protect Americans against the human form of mad cow disease. Since May 2005, the United States has effectively barred sperm banks from importing from Europe for fear it might spread the brain-ravaging pathogen that causes the affliction. Now, as the remaining vials of Nordic semen frozen in U.S. sperm banks are running out, a small but desperate number of would-be parents are frantic. Peterson has flown repeatedly to Denmark, and is going again this week, to try to get pregnant with sperm from the same donor. Others are going to Canada or Mexico, or haggling
  • #1
Math Is Hard
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/12/MNP1129OJL.DTL

The sperm bank had run out of vials from Peterson's donor and could not get more, because of restrictions health officials have instituted to protect Americans against the human form of mad cow disease. Since May 2005, the United States has effectively barred sperm banks from importing from Europe for fear it might spread the brain-ravaging pathogen that causes the affliction.

Now, as the remaining vials of Nordic semen frozen in U.S. sperm banks are running out, a small but desperate number of would-be parents are frantic. Peterson has flown repeatedly to Denmark, and is going again this week, to try to get pregnant with sperm from the same donor. Others are going to Canada or Mexico, or haggling with other American women who have leftover vials.

"I think it's outrageous," said Laura, a Los Angeles lawyer who asked that her last name be withheld to protect her privacy. She decided against paying a New York woman more than $2,000 for a few vials from a donor she nicknamed "Sven," whom she used a few years ago to conceive a son. A vial usually costs less than $500. "I'd love to give him a full sibling. But I just couldn't do it. It's so unfortunate."

Pretty kooky. The article says there is no record of people developing Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease from a sperm donation.
 
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  • #2
That's crazy.
 
  • #3
just curious, there, MIH, were you looking for something specifically to come across this article?
 
  • #4
rewebster said:
just curious, there, MIH, were you looking for something specifically to come across this article?

:smile: No, it was on the radio this morning. No viking babies for me.
 
  • #5
Math Is Hard said:
:smile: No, it was on the radio this morning. No viking babies for me.

good---because, I couldn't imagine there would be any volunteers here----









:wink:

(I did mention that I lived in Norway for two years as a kid)
 
  • #6
Arildno could make a fortune. He's brilliant, he's Norweedish.
 
  • #7
What was really crazy is on the radio this morning, they said that people were selling what they had left under brand names like "Finn" and "Olaf". Imagine that.. brand names!
 
  • #8
Evo said:
Arildno could make a fortune. He's brilliant, he's Norweedish.

I think he'd make an excellent brand. :approve:
 
  • #9
I'll Buy 500 Shares Or Nordosperm Inc!
 
  • #10
I'm tellin' you - this is quite a business opportunity! Especially if the sperm can be certified "mad cow-free".
 
  • #11
You'd want a Finn if you were going Scandinavian. They can drive better. :biggrin:
 
  • #12
Math Is Hard said:
What was really crazy is on the radio this morning, they said that people were selling what they had left under brand names like "Finn" and "Olaf". Imagine that.. brand names!

and if they sold it 'not through the legitimate markets', would it be called 'blonde market' sperm?


(pssst-lady---I got a handful of the GOOOOD stuff!)
 
  • #13
Kurdt said:
You'd want a Finn if you were going Scandinavian. They can drive better. :biggrin:
:smile:

rewebster said:
and if they sold it 'not through the legitimate markets', would it be called 'blonde market' sperm?
I believe it would!

(pssst-lady---I got a handful of the GOOOOD stuff!)
I'm not touching that one!
 
  • #14
Math Is Hard said:
I'm not touching that one!

maybe if you would touch it you wouldn't need a sperm bank.
 
  • #15
Math Is Hard said:
I'm tellin' you - this is quite a business opportunity! Especially if the sperm can be certified "mad cow-free".

Maybe we should whip something up. This topic is exploding with potential.
 
  • #16
This is apparently about the wish for blue eyed blond babies. Do blond babies have more fun? Why did the cow get mad in the first place. This is udderly ridiculous.:smile:
 
  • #17
tribdog said:
maybe if you would touch it you wouldn't need a sperm bank.

*slaps forehead* I've been doing it wrong!
 
  • #18
Math Is Hard said:
*slaps forehead* I've been doing it wrong!
No, I'm pretty sure that won't do it.
 
  • #19
I'm a 1/4 Norwegian. Hmm, money making possibilities. Besides, I doubt they can legally put age restrictions, LOL.
 
  • #20
Damn, my brand names wouldn't be quite as charming. Hoiseth, Skillingstad, and way back there Skaftnes, don't have quite the ring of "Olaf" or "Finn".
 
  • #21
binzing said:
I'm a 1/4 Norwegian. Hmm, money making possibilities. Besides, I doubt they can legally put age restrictions, LOL.

you'll only get 1/4 the payout though

----------------

(doesn't 'nor' mean 'not' ?)
 
  • #22
OR, they could just quarter the amount. ; )
 
  • #23
binzing said:
Damn, my brand names wouldn't be quite as charming. Hoiseth, Skillingstad, and way back there Skaftnes, don't have quite the ring of "Olaf" or "Finn".

That's OK, we'll use "Thor" for your brand. No, wait... 25%.. OK, "Thor lite"?
 
  • #24
Lol. And those were just last names, the first names are atrocious (well I like them, they are my ancestors after all)
 
  • #26
Thor lite. Buwahahaha :smile:
 
  • #27
Meh, I prefer Thor 0.25.
 
  • #28
binzing said:
Meh, I prefer Thor 0.25.

I'm tellin' yur dad next year that you were in the PF sperm section 0.75 years ahead of schedule next year...

wait a minute...

ummm...

I shouldn't tell you how many years behind you are...

http://www.drspock.com/faq/0,1511,1687,00.html

hrmmmm...

maybe that's why you're here explainin' the facts to all these ladies... :redface:

um...

don't mind me.

wait a minute?! how did I get into the sperm section!

This is a Science Forum! Ahhhhhhhhhh!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #29
Lol...

Oh and scratch that, make it "Thor 250" that sounds like a dirtbike. \||/
 
  • #30
Hmm...this sounds weird on many levels. If these women want Nordic sperm, they could always get it the old fashioned way. :rolleyes:
 
  • #31
Moonbear said:
If these women want Nordic sperm, they could always get it the old fashioned way. :rolleyes:
Hang around York and wait to get ravished by some invading vikings?
 
  • #32
The ladies can have my sperm, in Germany mad cow disease never was such a big problem as it was in England. They only would have t

MOOOOOOOH !
 
  • #33
As far as I remember mad cow disease wasn't much of a problem in the UK. Only a handful of cases per year.
 
  • #34
Kurdt said:
As far as I remember mad cow disease wasn't much of a problem in the UK. Only a handful of cases per year.

ooopsie... mixed this up with foot-and-mouth ! Hm... mixing things up...memory getting weak... are these the symptoms ? :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
  • #35
Kurdt said:
As far as I remember mad cow disease wasn't much of a problem in the UK. Only a handful of cases per year.
Yes, but i can't give blood in the US/Canada - because I lived in the UK.
And ironically I couldn't give blood in the UK because I had visited the USA where everybody has west nile virus!

How a prion is going to get into washed IVF sperm anyway is a mystery.
 

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