The finest young minds have long been accustomed to shaping the lives of tomorrow's generation - now they can have an even bigger impact on the future.

The fertility unit at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital has launched a drive to recruit Oxford University Students as sperm donors and has taken out adverts in the Oxford Student newspaper.

Students responding to the adverts, which have been placed to coincide with the start of the academic year, could earn the princely sum of £12.50 in expenses each time they donate sperm.

Dr Bill Ledger, director of the fertility programme at the John Radcliffe Hospital, said students were targeted because of their age, as men's sperm count decreases as they grow older.

For more details, call the Oxford Fertility Unit Women's Centre on 01865 221900.

He added: "£12.50 means rather more to the average student than it does to you or I."

But he added that most donors were not motivated by profit saying: "It's small money. In the States they can earn 250 dollars a time.

"Here they're doing it because they feel our work is valuable and they want to be part of that. They're people interested in health issues and tend to be blood donors and bone marrow donors."

Those who volunteer are subject to rigorous health checks. A high proportion drop out when they realise what is involved. Others will be rejected because their sperm is not a high enough quality.

Sperm collected is frozen for six months.The donor must then return for a further health check before his sperm can be used in infertility programmes. One donor's sperm is only allowed to produce 10 babies.

Dr Ledger stressed that his unit was eager to recruit from a broad background and students accounted for fewer than half recruits.

He said: "We do not want it to be seen as an elitist thing. I know many people who would much prefer a donor from their own background."

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