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Intrauterine insemination via HIV-infected men can be safe
 
 
  Last Updated: 2004-11-08 16:57:54 -0400 (Reuters Health)
 
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Intrauterine insemination (IUI) with suitably processed sperm from men with HIV can allow reproduction while minimizing the risk of infection, according to French researchers.
 
"Our work demonstrates that it is possible to assist serodiscordant couples with an HIV-1 male infected partner to have children without female contamination risk," lead investigator Dr. Louis Bujan told Reuters Health. "We think it's very important to inform serodiscordant couples planning their family about these possibilities...to avoid the risk of heterosexual transmission."
 
In the October issue of Fertility and Sterility, Dr. Bujan of Hopital Paule de Viguier, Toulouse and colleagues report on a prospective follow-up study of 56 HIV-1 serodiscordant couples.
 
The researchers employed sperm cell separation by the gradient density method. This was followed by the swim-up method, virological detection and IUI after ovarian stimulation.
 
In all, 213 IUIs were performed, 37 pregnancies resulted and there were 33 live births and 2 ongoing pregnancies. No women were infected.
 
Overall, 60% of the couples achieved pregnancy and 75% of these took places within the first 3 IUI cycles.
 
"To date," continued Dr. Bujan, "we have performed more than 300 IUI cycles without female contamination and very good results." The approach used, he added, is simple to perform, and the women involved are "often without fertility problems."
 
"In our opinion," Dr. Bujan concluded, "the use of a more complicated program of assisted reproductive technology must be reserved for HIV serodiscordant couples with infertility problems."
 
Fertil Steril 2004;82:857-862.
 

 

 
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