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 immunodeficie ncy virus type 1 (HIV-1) after the use of processed semen from their seropo sitive 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 th e use of Percoll and swim up techniques. Ovarian stimulation in the women w as 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 test ed for HIV-1 antibodies. Result(s): In the first case, seven mature oocytes were collected and fertilized with ICSI, and three embryos were transferre d; the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy boy. Six months af ter 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 b ecame pregnant and also gave birth to a healthy boy. Testing for HIV-1 anti bodies at the baby's delivery also gave negative results. Conclusion(s): In women who are infertile because of fallopian tube obstruc tion or in men who have poor quality semen for artificial insemination, ICS I can be performed using processed semen. This method, which involves the u se of only one spermatozoon per oocyte, provides HIV-1 seropositive men wit h the opportunity to have children with a minimal risk-if any-of infecting their female partners. (C) 2001 by American Society for Reproductive Medici ne.