It is literally giving the gift of life.

But the number of men prepared to donate their sperm has fallen in Southampton.

Figures show the amount of donors has dropped by half in the last three years.

In addition, a lack of donors from ethnic minorities in Hampshire is leading to couples importing sperm from abroad, a new report reveals.

The news comes as Southampton University Hospital Trust launches a campaign to encourage more men to register as donors and earn up to £525 for providing sperm.

As more couples in the county seek help in conceiving a baby, the numbers of donors from the white majority population had remained strong in recent years.

But it is thought religious and cultural concerns may be behind the reasons why few donors from minority communities are volunteering.

Now fertility chiefs are seeking more donors from all backgrounds to volunteer and have launched an advertising campaign to remind would-be donors that they can earn cash.

Donor co-ordinator at Complete Fertility Centre in Southampton, Julie Hedges, said: “Enquiries have declined by 53% across the three years with 138 in 2014, 92 in 2015 and 74 so far this year.”

Ms Hedges said only five potential donors from the local ethnic communities have come forward to find out about the scheme so far this year, with only one going on to donate.

“Sperm donation is not just a generous act for the donor but allows families who are unable to have conceived naturally have a child of their own,” she said.

“The reason for the ethnic minority shortage is unclear but is leaning towards a number of social and religious factors.”

The latest donation figures released by the HEFA (Human Fertilisation and Embryo Authority) reported that the number of newly registered donors in the South East rose substantially in the mid 2010’s.

The study revealed the majority of donors identify themselves as ethnically white British with 1,369 new registrations between 2009 and 2013.

However, only 246 ethnic minority donors registered in the same period.

Ms Hedges added that some ethnic minority couples who come to the clinic for help imported sperm from partner clinics elsewhere in the UK and Denmark.

Dr Maggie Kirkman, a senior research fellow in reproductive sciences, believes the problem lies in social attitudes.

‘‘In many ethnic minority societies, sperm donation is a sensitive subject, especially in societies where cultural and social importance is given to children genetically related to their parents,” she said.

Currently over 1,300 babies on average are born every year from sperm donation across the UK, according to figures released by the NHS.

Donors undergo health checks, including screening for diseases and genetic abnormalities while their samples are analysed for quantity, quality and movement.