Across Europe, many women have become pregnant or given birth to children through Danish sperm banks.
Some Dutch fertility clinics say that more than 60% of their treatments are done with sperm from a Danish institution. In Belgium, 6 out of 10 children born thanks to sperm donations are said to have Danish biological fathers.
Approximately one fifth of the donated sperm available in the UK is obtained from Denmark. The Irish Times even claimed that 90% of Danish sperm goes to other EU countries.
So why exactly has this country gained such ground across Europe when it comes to sperm donation?
One reason may be the fact that Denmark was one of the first countries to place great emphasis on fertility treatment, allowing single and lesbian women to have children through sperm banks since 2006.
According to Annemette Arndal-Lauritzen, CEO of the European Sperm Bank, this normalized sperm donation.
"Today, more than 1% of all children born in Denmark are born with donor sperm. This is the highest percentage of any European country," she told Euronews.
Unlike most other European countries, Danish legislation allows sperm banks to advertise with Danish men as their main target.
In exchange for each sperm donation, donors receive a payment and a gym membership. This financial reward is especially important for students. "I get 40 euros per donation and donate about twice a week. For me it's pretty good: I don't need a second job and I help others have children,” one student told Euronews.
"Due to the high number of applicants, we have many options to choose from. This ensures that we can offer high-quality sperm," said Arndal-Lauritzen.
However, numerous health tests are performed and in the end, only about 5% of applicants are approved as sperm donors.
