WHEN infertility is a possible outcome arising from a variety of medical conditions, it may be worth consideringshavingssperm saved in a sperm bank for later use.

　　In February, British soldiers heading to the Gulf were lining up at sperm banks, so their partners could still have their children if they were to be killed or rendered infertile by chemical or biological weapons.

　　This service called fertility insurance, is being offered to the public for the first time in China by the Shanghai Human Sperm Bank at Reji Hospital.

　　"We have had about 10 customers so far and all are married. They store 20 samples of their sperm in our bank because they will are to undergo operations on the testes or other procedures related to potential infertility," said Li Zheng, director of the sperm bank.

　　Testicular cancer is among the most common malignant tumours for men, accounting for about 10 per cent of all cancers. As for other cancer patients, they would also be better saving their sperm because chemical therapy can damage sperm.

　　In China, one in every 100 couples fail to conceive due to the husband's infertility.

　　Besides patients, healthy people can also enjoy the service as an insurance against unforeseen events. Some young men can save their healthy and much stronger sperm in the bank if they are afraid heavy work could have damaged their sperm by the time they want to have a child.

　　Those undertaking risky or dangerous work such as policemen or soldiers can also save their healthy sperm for their wives.

　　The service is also able to complement Chinese family planning policy, medical experts believe.

　　"Many Chinese husbands refuse to have vasectomies because they are afraid some misfortune may happen to their only child," Li explained.

　　The process of sperm saving is not very complicated. After strict medical tests and signing consent, the customers provide sperm two or three times. The sperm is then kept in liquid nitrogen, at 196 degrees below zero.

　　Sperm banks have operated since the 1980s in China and doctors say it's very safe to store sperm. "It makes no difference whether the sperm is saved frozen for 10 years or just 10 days," said Li.

　　Saving sperm at low temperatures does influence the quality of the sperm, but it won't lead to inborn diseases for the babies.

　　Difficulties

　　Saving sperm in a bank is a common practice in some foreign countries but the new business faces certain obstacles in Shanghai.

　　First of all, it may take some time for the the public to understand and accept the new concept. So far all 10 customers are locals.

　　The high cost also acts as a barrier to customers. The present cost for each man is 500 yuan (US) every three months, although the price has not been officially approved yet. The price is only acceptable for those with a good income. Li said the price would drop if expanding business lowers costs.

　　Probably the greatest problem is that China has not mapped out a law in this area, although written consent is necessary. "The legal void could lead to disputes," said Li.

　　Some medical experts have warned thatshavingsbabies fathered by those who have died or divorced could open a moral minefield for fertility specialists.

　　In China, the public could put considerable pressure on a wife who gets pregnant with the husband's sperm saved in the bank when the husband is not with her.

　　In addition, the technology of saving sperm still needs to be improved, although the sperm's motility rate is able to reach the 35 per cent level required by the Ministry of Health. "There is always risk. We can't ensure all the customers' wives will be able to conceive," Li explained.