A woman has lifted the lid on life inside the UK’s newest, cutting-edge sperm bank which has opened in Manchester
Hannah Staples, aged 28 from Warrington, is a Clinical Andrologist at the brand-new Cryos International centre in Manchester.
It is the first UK location from the world’s largest sperm and egg bank Cryos International, which is based in Denmark.
As a clinical andrologist, Hannah is an expert in men’s reproductive health, dealing with issues like fertility, hormone levels, and sexual function.
And that makes for some interesting conversations outside of her nine-to-five. She recalls: “Discussing my work was actually how I started my first date with my now-partner.
“Can you imagine telling someone you’ve just met, you work in a sperm bank or a fertility clinic? He was like, ‘I’m sorry, what was that?’.
“Most people are shocked when I tell them what I do, a lot of people even ask me to repeat myself before asking a load of questions like ‘what does sperm look like?’.”
Hannah and Cryos are on a mission to change Brits’ stuffy perceptions of sperm donation.
Stylish, comfortable and discreet, the donation rooms at Cryos provide a contrast to sterile and clinical medical environments, putting donors at ease with gentle lighting and cosy soft furnishings.
The location is equipped with VR headsets offering an immersive experience, thanks to the centre’s premium subscription to PornHub. It follows clinical research from Cryos that demonstrated that the use of VR Porn can improve quality and increase sperm count by up to 50 per cent.*
It is situated a stone’s throw from Manchester’s main university campuses, in Manchester Science Park.
A typical day for Hannah consists of a wide range of diverse duties. She explains: “On a typical day you can find me in the lab or the reception, ready to greet donors and explain the process to them.
In the lab, I ensure our centrifuges are set correctly and begin the process of freezing and thawing samples to see if they reach our donor criteria. After this, I then log into all the porn platforms and set up the VR headsets for the day.”
Hannah said: “People think it’s seedy, one-hundred percent, expecting to be ushered into a dark room.
“But, that’s not the case at all. We’re committed to helping people achieve their dreams of starting their own family.
“Whether you’ve donated before or are shaking with nerves before your first appointment, we’re here to put everyone at ease and provide all the support and information you could require.”
The centre is committed to diversity in its sperm donors, welcoming applications from men of all ethnic backgrounds between the ages of 18 and 45.
It is opening at a time of unprecedented demand for fertility services in the UK which has seen births from sperm donation triple since the turn of the millennium, despite donation numbers being at an all-time low.*
Founded in Denmark in 1987, Cryos helps people achieve their dream of starting a family in over 100 countries around the world. And the proof is in the results, as Cryos has the highest number of registered pregnancies in the world.
