Redheads need not apply says world's largest sperm bank

The World

Story from PRI's The World. Listen to audio for full report.

The world’s largest sperm bank is telling redheads "no need to apply." Cryos International says there's not as much demand for redheaded donors compared to dark haired donors.

Ole Schou, who is the director of Cryos International, says the company is looking for a more diverse selection for their markets all over the world.

"We have blond hair and blue eyes, and also red hair, ready to deliver. The problem is we need other kinds of races," Schou said. "Our job is to have a selection of everything."

Cryos International says its supply is based on the demands of defined segments of clients -- heterosexual couples, lesbian couples and singles -- who do look for specific things.

"The heterosexual couples always look for a donor who could look like the male partner," Schou explains. "If it's lesbian [couples], they try to match as close as possible to one of the females. Then we have the single segmentation -- they don't have a husband or partner to match, so they'd probably try to find something close to themself and their dream prince in life ... [some] asked if we had somebody like Brad Pitt or Bruce Willis."

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PRI's "The World" is a one-hour, weekday radio news magazine offering a mix of news, features, interviews, and music from around the globe. "The World" is a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston. More about The World.

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