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Chinese sperm banks seduce donors with promise of iPhone 6s

Xinhua, September 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

Eager technophiles may not have to reach far to find the cash for Apple's latest model. According to an advertisement with the Shanghai Sperm Bank - all you have to do is donating.

"No need to sell a kidney...Shanghai sperm bank can make your iPhone 6s dream come true," says the ad which has gone viral on China's most popular social networking app WeChat this week.

Capitalizing on the country's lust for new technology, the sperm bank hopes to fix a shortage in donors ahead of the release of the iPhone 6s next week.

Those who qualify to donate can receive up to 6,000 yuan for 17 ml of semen. The latest Apple model is expected to cost around 5,288 yuan.

"Why sell your kidney when you can donate sperm? It's a great deed that can bring happiness to a whole family," said microblog Weibo user "Wojiushiwutong".

"To sell a kidney" has become a well-known metaphor for the fever pitch surrounding Apple products. It was coined after a teenager made headlines for selling one of his kidneys to buy an iPhone and an iPad in 2011.

A sperm bank in central China's Hubei Province posted a similar ad highlighting a picture of the new rose gold iPhone 6s, a color created mainly to attract Chinese consumers.

The Shanghai ad is bluntly titled "New Solution to Get iPhone 6s", evoking some criticism that the sperm bank is being insensitive.

"I don't like the idea of making money out of sperm donation to buy new iPhones. Sperm donation is a very serious cause for public good," one Weibo user said.

But a spokesperson with the Shanghai sperm bank told Xinhua the campaign has worked well so far, raising awareness and attracting potential donors.

While there are tens of thousands of infertile couples in China, all sperm banks across the country face donation shortages because many young men are unaware or too embarrassed to donate, forcing the banks to turn to social media.

Even if they do find a sufficient pool of potential donors, certain criteria must be met to be eligible. Donors must be between 22 to 45 years old, hold a college degree and have high-quality semen that can survive the rigors of freezing and thawing. Endi