Severe shortage of donor sperm and eggs in Tampere

Tampere University Hospital (Tays) is facing a critical shortage of donor sperm and eggs, with waiting times exceeding a year for sperm and up to a year for eggs, according to a Facebook post by the hospital.

Osastonylilääkäri Katja Ahinko told Yle via email that the current wait for donated sperm is approximately 13–15 months, while the wait for donor eggs ranges from nine months to a year. Embryo transfers have a shorter wait, averaging one to two months.

Ahinko stated that the sole cause of the long waiting times is the lack of donors, and the only solution is to increase the number of people willing to donate.

The difficult situation has persisted for a long time, confirmed Pirha, the hospital district’s communications. The hormone and infertility clinic is closed for July and will resume operations in August.