Sperm Shortage:

That is if you happen to be blonde, blue-eyed and tall. A recent ban on imports of European sperm has created a sperm shortage in the United States.

Typically couples who want blonde haired, blue-eyed children have opted for sperm donated by Danish, Dutch and Swedish men, then imported into the US. The problem arose in 2005 when the US Food and Drug Administration banned import of semen from countries where there had been any exposure to Mad Cow, or Creutzfeldt-Jakob.

Many scientists feel that the ban is absurd, since there is no evidence that the disease could be passed in semen and the donors are already rigorously screened. Not only that but imports from Canada, a country also exposed to Mad Cow, are still allowed. But, be that as it may, getting the FDA to reverse the ban could take a while.

The situation has resulted in a rise in "Fertility Tourism" with women traveling to Denmark to visit fertility clinics there. Obviously, a more expensive proposition than before.

Meanwhile, guys, if you happen to fit the profile of the typical Nordic blonde this may be your call to step up to the private donation booth. You'll probably also need to have a college degree, and may have to be able to provide medical history four generations back for your entire family as well as passing a battery of medical tests for every genetic condition known to man. You should also probably be over 5'11, height/weight proportionate, and between 18 and 38.

The up side is that you'll know you're helping someone have a child. A child they will no doubt cherish. And who knows, fertility clinics may be driven by the shortage to start offering bigger cash incentives to men of who fit the proper description. It does appear, after all, to be a seller's market.

Becoming a donor requires several donations for screening purposes. These donations will be tested for motility, count, morphology, and freeze-ability. If you make it past the first hurdle the medical screening will follow.

If accepted you might be offered a contract of six months of scheduled donations. Generally no more than ten children will be born from a single donor's sperm.

For those interested in becoming donors the first step is to contact a licensed fertility clinic in your area.