— Christine M. Kukka, Project Manager, HBV Advocate
Using washed or sterilized sperm from HIV, HBV or
HCV-infected men and injecting it directly into the egg of an
uninfected woman is a safe and effective way for couples to achieve
pregnancy when the man has a bloodborne infection, according to a
report published in the January 2014 issue of the International Journal of Fertility and Sterility.
A team of Italian researchers
followed 62 men, whose sperm was washed (separated from seminal fluid
so they were free of any HBV, HCV and HIV molecules) and injected into
their partners' eggs.
In total, 38 clinical
pregnancies were achieved out of 173 menstrual cycles, resulting in 34
births (16.2% per cycle and 30.1% per couple).
During follow-up, none of the women or infants contracted viral hepatitis or HIV infections.
"Sperm washing and
intracytoplasmic sperm injection are shown to be a safe and effective
option for reducing the risk of transmission or super infection in
serodiscordant or concordant couples who wish to have a child,"
researchers wrote.
Labels: perinatal transmission, sperm washing
