Due to the economic crisis, hundreds of Greeks and immigrants living in Greece are willing to sell their sperm to earn money, especially during summer or before Christmas holidays. Donors consist primarily of young students, doctors or health officials, who must first undergo examinations to determine whether they are carriers of any diseases and whether their sperm can be used. The necessary tests are completed after 20 days.
According to the law, a man cannot receive more than 200 euros for the necessary medical expenses and transport, but some sperm banks are willing to pay as much as an additional 30-50 euros for each donation.
According to an article in the Greek newspaper Eleftherotypia, only one out of ten candidates is approved to become a donor and his sperm cannot be used for the birth of more than 10 children. According to an international regulation, each donor is permitted to give sperm only once a week, so he cannot make a living by selling his sperm.
Each year in Greece, 1000 sperm donations are purchased, usually by unmarried women over 40 years old (50%), and the rest by reproductively challenged couples, or homosexual couples who wish to have a baby.
The Greek government has imposed a 13% value added tax so that in Greece, sperm is sold for 150 euros plus the VAT.
Unfortunately, there are risks involved in the industry. Due to austerity measures, there is no longer an authority to control whether the necessary medical tests have taken place, nor is permission being issued. The Greek state does not even know the exact number of sperm banks that exist, nor whether they follow the necessary rules.
Also, according to information of health officials, there is a sperm bank in the country which has had the same 56 donors for the past ten years. As a result, it is very possible that many children have been born having the same father and living in the same region. Thus, in the future, many ethical issues may be raised.
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