Do Boise Sperm Banks Accept Donations From Willing Redheads?

It doesn't get talked about very often, so I would be lying if I told you I knew much about the subject. All I know about sperm donation is what I've seen on TV or in movies. All those shows and movies were comedies, so I wouldn't say they probably painted the most accurate picture of the process. I saw a video on Instagram that said that the world's largest sperm bank was no longer accepting donations from redheads because there was no demand for it. The same video went on to say that redheads would be extinct in the next 100 years.

Let's address the redheads going extinct part first. That came from a misquoted article from National Geographic written in 2007. Most news outlets that reported this false information quoted a study by The Oxford Hair Foundation, which Procter and Gamble owns. So, it isn't exactly an independent study. The scientific truth is that with 6.4 billion people currently carrying the red hair gene, gingers are here to stay.

In September 2011, Cryos International, the world's largest sperm bank, stopped accepting sperm from redheads because of a lack of demand. I decided to call Boise sperm banks to see if the video was true. Have sperm banks stopped taking donations from redheads? I learned a lot! First, there is only one sperm bank in Boise: North American Cryobank, and they stopped taking donations when the COVID pandemic started and have not resumed that part of the business.

The Idaho Center for Reproductive Medicine gets much of its sperm from Seattle and California. So, I called every sperm bank on their recommended list: California Cryobank, Seattle Sperm Bank, and Sperm Bank of California.

While it's true that there may not be as much demand for sperm from redheaded donors, every sperm bank I called still takes sperm from gingers. One told me they don't have any sperm from redheads and would love to have some in their supply chain.

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Each bank has a slightly different set of rules for donors. Still, for the most part, they are looking for those ages 18-38, college educated, and legal to work in the United States. Since no banks are in the Boise area, you'd have to drive to Seattle or California. The compensation is $100-$120 per donation, and you can donate twice a week. That means that you can make about $8,000 per year.

As of today, Cryos International has changed its stance on redheads. They now accept ginger sperm.