In a group of studies that involved more than 1700 HIV-serodiscordant couples undergoing sperm washing with assisted reproduction, none of the women or newborns seroconverted to HIV-positive.
Many HIV-serodiscordant couples of reproductive age are now electing to have children. For couples in which the infected partner is the man, semen processing (sperm washing) has been used in combination with assisted reproductive technologies — such as intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) — to reduce the risk of viral transmission to the woman.
Researchers recently evaluated the safety and effectiveness of this approach via a systematic review of the literature. They identified 17 observational studies on the topic (mostly in Europe) but no randomized trials. Eligibility criteria for the HIV-infected men in these studies typically included stable HIV disease and consistent…
Reviewing Author
Carole Gilling-Smith, MD, PhD
Carole Gilling-Smith, MD, PhD