Looking for Volunteer Opportunities Abroad?

With the return of Camelot to the White House, we will no doubt see renewed emphasis on voluntary service opportunities for young people in the Peace Corps and other organizations. (This is not limited to youth, of course -- remember how Lillian Carter joined the Peace Corps in post-retirement age.)

CBS News is reporting an opening for Americans looking to volunteer overseas, in this case the United Kingdom:

Britain is facing a sperm donor shortage after reversing confidentiality laws and limiting the number of women who can use sperm from one donor, fertility experts warned Wednesday.

Britain in 2005 changed the law protecting anonymous sperm donors and allowed children to learn the identity of donor fathers - one reason, fertility experts say, there are fewer donors now.

"The only countries that seem to have enough sperm are those that pay - like the U.S. and Spain - or the countries that retain anonymity," said Allan Pacey, a member of the British Fertility Society that warned of the shortage in the British Medical Journal.

"In the countries that have removed anonymity ... there seems to be a problem," he said.

In 1991, Britain logged 503 sperm donors, according to figures from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. In 2000, there were 325, and in 2006 - the year after the law was changed - the number dropped to 307.

Experts say 500 donors a year are needed to cope with the number of couples needing donor insemination in Britain.

Check with a nearby British consulate to explore how best you can help fix this dire situation.