The world's largest international sperm bank is relocated its U.S. facilities to a lab complex in Orlando, bringing with it more jobs and more opportunities for women to have a child.
Cryos International is prepping for opening day. The 13-person staff is already busy sifting through more than 100 donor applications.
"To be a donor, you need to be a healthy male between the ages of 18 and 39, 5 foot 9 or taller," said Cryos Vice President Angela Tillis.
The new facility is tapping into a huge donor base because of its close proximity to the University of Central Florida.
"Orlando was chosen for a couple of reasons," Tillis said. "First, it is a huge, growing medical and biomedical community, and we really want to be involved in research and development as a part of that growth. Also, because UCF is right across the street, and with over 30,000 potential male donor candidates, it was just the perfect place for us."
But donations don't come cheap. Tillis said a straw containing sperm can range from $120 to $600, depending on the donor and type of sperm.
"We cater to not just heterosexual couples that are dealing with infertility issues, but a very large market in this industry are lesbian couples wanting to have babies and, surprisingly, single women," Tillis said.
For those wanting to have a child, one medical director says having Cryos International store frozen sperm locally will benefit them.
"I think, for the local fertility clinics to have something in their backyard, certainly facilitates the ability to obtain donor sperm for their patient," said Mark Trolice, medical director of Fertility Care, in Winter Park.
Cryos also delivers to 80 countries and offers an online database with details about each donor.
Cryos International's new headquarters, located at 2200 N. Alafaya Trail, Orlando, officially opens Monday, April 6.
Qualified men who donate can earn up to $375 a week. You can find out how to become a sperm donor here.