SEMEN CHARACTERISTICS IN HIV-1 POSITIVE MEN AND THE EFFECT OF SEMEN WASHING

We have undertaken an analysis of semen from HIV infected men with reg ard to sperm counts and motility, non-spermatozoal cells, and viral nu cleic acid. Regression analysis showed that sperm concentration and mo tility were positively associated with blood CD4 cell count. By contra st, non-spermatozoal cell concentration (round cells) was inversely re lated to CD4 count. Extracellular HIV RNA was detected in the majority of semen samples and proviral DNA in a minority. Percoll gradient was hing of 12 semen samples yielded six samples containing adequate sperm concentration for analysis. This washing procedure reduced prewash ex tracellular RNA to below detectable limits in all cases; proviral DNA present in two of the six prewash samples was also reduced to below de tectable limits after washing. We conclude that semen washing before a rtificial insemination may reduce the risk of HIV transmission from an infected man to an uninfected woman. However, further evidence from p rospective analyses of such an approach is required.