EDINBURGH, Jan 3 (AFP) - A thousand Scottish volunteers are sending samples of their sperm by post in little sterile, shockproof and leak-proof vials as part of a fertility study being carried out in Edinburgh. These randomly chosen men will help scientists to look into the quality of Scottish sperm, especially to check whether chemical products and pollution diminish its reproductive properties, the experts said. By sending their sperm through the post, the volunteers will not have to go personally to the research center.
Dr. Stewart Irvine and a group of other doctors from the Medical Research Council's reproductive biology unit plan to use the little vials to analyze the sperm for deficiencies. The vials contain another liquid that will enable the sperm to remain "alive" for 48 hours, compared to an hour under normal conditions.
Dr. Irvine explained, "What we want to find out is where we are in terms of sperm quality today because there are a lot of fears about whether it is getting worse." The results would be known in about a year's time, he said 
Newswires
