Women want more red-head sperm donors

Redheads used to be unpopular but the tide is definitely turning. Photo / Getty

Sperm donor collection companies are calling for more specimens from ginger haired men.

Currently only two per cent of donors are redheads and more women are wanting flame-haired children, news.com.au reports.

Whether it is the attraction to a Prince like Harry or a worldwide music phenomenon like Ed Sheeran, the tide has turned. In 2011 one of the world's largest sperm banks Cyros International shut the door on gingers as there was not enough interest in having their offspring.

But this week Co-ParentMatch.com, an international network of sperm donors, has put out a call for fire-haired men in a bid to meet demand and also to stop the dying out of redheads in the population. They are using the hashtag SaveGingers to draw attention to their pro-ranga campaign.

"Historically red-headed donors have not been popular but we are getting requests for profiles of men with firey hair. People often select a donor because of their heritage, perhaps they have Irish or Scottish ancestry," Carmel Carrigan of Queensland Fertility Group said.

"Donors are rarely chosen on physical attributes alone as education and occupation plays a big part in the decision, Ms Carrigan said.

Genetic scientists have warned that redheads are a dying breed and are likely to be extinct within 100 years. Due to the small percentage of redheads in the population it is rare to have two red headed parents which gives a higher chance of a redhaired baby.

"A donor with red hair does not guarantee a child with red hair as basically it is a genetic tumble drier," Brisbane IVF fertility doctor David Molloy said.

Four year old Ariana Miller has a glorious head of red locks but neither of her parents are redheads.

"Ariana's hair colour gets a lot of attention and I think it's good to be different," dad Steve Miller from McDowall Brisbane said.