Birth of two infants who were seronegative for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) after intracytoplasmic injection of sperm from HIV-1-seropositive men.

OBJECTIVE

To report two cases of live births after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in two women who were seronegative for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) after the use of processed semen from their seropositive husbands.

DESIGN

Case reports.

SETTING

University hospital IVF center.

PATIENT(S): Two HIV-1 seropositive men and their HIV-1 seronegative female partners; all gave their informed consent in writing before undergoing the ICSI procedures.

INTERVENTION(S): The men provided semen samples that were processed with the use of Percoll and swim-up techniques. Ovarian stimulation in the women was performed with the long protocol using GnRH analogs and recombinant FSH. ICSI was performed.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Oocytes were fertilized by ICSI, and the resulting embryos were transferred to the patients. The mothers and babies were tested for HIV-1 antibodies.

RESULT(S): In the first case, seven mature oocytes were collected and fertilized with ICSI, and three embryos were transferred; the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy boy. Six months after the birth, testing for HIV-1 antibodies in the woman and the baby gave negative results. In the second case, 10 mature oocytes were collected and fertilized with ICSI, and four embryos were transferred; the second woman became pregnant and also gave birth to a healthy boy. Testing for HIV-1 antibodies at the baby's delivery also gave negative results.

CONCLUSION(S): In women who are infertile because of fallopian tube obstruction or in men who have poor quality semen for artificial insemination, ICSI can be performed using processed semen. This method, which involves the use of only one spermatozoon per oocyte, provides HIV-1 seropositive men with the opportunity to have children with a minimal risk-if any-of infecting their female partners.