http://167.216.192.98/httabloid/cda/storymain/0,4074,1778,00.html
Here is a great piece of news for Indian men - their semen is in great demand in Europe. Recently, the authorities at Kochi port held an American woman trying to smuggle out containers that carried frozen semen. The woman revealed that the frozen fluid was sent to her from Delhi. But what is so special about Indian semen that one needs to smuggle it out? "Indian sperm is considered to be the healthiest among Asian sperms," says Dr. Ashish Sabherwal, member, Indian Medical Association and a well known sexologist. According to a recent World Health Organisation report, the problem of infertility has assumed alarming proportions in Europe. An anti-nature lifestyle and processed foods have damaged the natural functioning of the human reproductive system among Europeans. "Most European countries need Indian semen to fill the vacuum," Dr. Sabherwal claims. And that is where this turns into a tale of exploitation. For the fact of the matter is that poverty has led many Indian men to be milked like cows. They now not only sell their blood but also ejaculate artificially to get some moolah in return. There are increasing reports of unemployed rural youth approaching potential semen buyers. And it is not only private semen banks but also hospitals like LNJP and Batra in Delhi that have been receiving over ten enquiries each day. These boys (mostly from neighbouring states like Haryana and UP), who get around Rs 800 to 1500 for each shot, are more or less indifferent to the attrition that this practice will cause to their mental and sexual health. "I don't see any harm in selling one's semen if that can support one's livelihood. The government can talk about morality, since it doesn't know what starving is. As long as we are not doing anything criminal and are not harming anyone, it's fine," argues Ravi, an unemployed youth. Anurag Mathur from Rajasthan places sustenance over health. "What more do I want if eight to nine shots a month can make my life happier? I would rather feel weak after having ejaculated compulsively than live with the stress of being penniless," says he. The semen business seems to be doing well in view of the growing demand. "Like blood, it's a commodity that can be sold. The seller and the buyer have a mutual understanding. We know it's a wrong practice but if they insist upon selling it, we can't send them back," says a senior doctor at a private semen bank in Delhi. How about local consumption? Though Indian metros are following a lifestyle more or less akin to the West, Dr. Abha Majumdar, Head, Infertility Department, RML Hospital, doesn't see any immediate need for the commercial storage of semen. "Indian male fertility is definitely on the decline. While the volume of semen remains the same, concentration of sperm has decreased from 89 million per millilitre to 60 million. It is all because of environmental pollution, chemical preservatives and packaged junk food that we consume. Women are opening up to alien sperms but still the consumption is low," says Dr. Majumdar. Khalid M Ansari (HTTabloid.com) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - your guide to health and wellness http://health.yahoo.com - >>> email 'unsubscribe listening-l' or 'subscribe listening-l' or 'info listening-l' >>> to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> in the body of the message
