China's first sperm identity card was issued at a Guangzhou hospital in May, stirring controversy in the Guangdong provincial capital.

The sperm identity card was jointly issued by Ren'ai Hospital of Guangzhou and the province's Reproductive Healthcare Association.

The first cardholder is a 25-year-old man named Shangguan who comes from Jiangxi province. He received the card on May 9 after having his sperm analyzed and examined in the hospital.

He told the New Express newspaper in Guangzhou that he is single and the certificate is proof of his reproductive health.

In addition to a certificate, which has data on the sperm count and health, Shangguan received a DVD that records the quality, quantity and the movement of his sperm.

Feng Liuxiang , director of the Guangdong Healthy Birth and Child Development Association, said the sperm identity card would help men know more about their reproductive functions and health.

"It will help men avoid sterility and ensure healthy childbirth," said Feng, former deputy director-general of the Guangdong health bureau.

Luo Ling , a doctor at Ren'ai Hospital who specializes in treating impotence, said the cards are expected to help raise people's poor awareness of men's health and protect men's reproductive capacity.

According to a doctor named Huang at Ren'ai Hospital, the card itself is free but men must first pay 100 yuan ($16) to have their sperm analyzed.

"The sperm analysis and examination takes an hour," Huang said.

"Many men, single and married, have made appointments to have their sperm analyzed and examined for the card," Huang said, without specifying the number.

The sperm identity card has sparked controversy in Guangzhou.

Chen Fangqi , a young Guangzhou white-collar worker, said the card is useless and he wouldn't get one.

"It's all a show the hospital is putting on," he told China Daily on Tuesday.

Yin Tianhong , another Guangzhou resident, said the card would be useful if it is authorized.

"At least, it can help prove whether the man is healthy or not," he added.