Transmission risk of hepatitis C virus in assisted reproductive techniques

Medical assistance for procreation in a couple where one or both parents ha s hepatitis C viral infection (HCV) raises the issue of the transmission of the infection to the baby and/or of possible contamination of both the tec hnicians and the gametes or embryos from virus-free parents in the laborato ry, It becomes essential to assess transmission risk in assisted reproducti ve techniques in order to define clearly the management of couples accordin g to their viral status. Tb define the HCV transmissibility risk in assiste d reproduction related to the presence of virus in semen from infected infe rtile men, HCV RNA detection was performed in sera, and semen and sperm fra ctions obtained after Percoll gradient centrifugation, HCV RNA was detected in 5% (2/39) of the semen samples tested: in the raw semen, in the seminal fluid and in the cell pellet but never after Percoll selection, According to these results, we suggest a strategy for HCV-infected infertile men who need assistance for procreation.