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Semen alterations in HIV-1 infected men
E Dulioust1, A Le Du, D Costagliola
1Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction, GREFH, Hôpital Cochin-APHP, Université Paris 5, 123 Bd de Port Royal, 75014 Paris, France. emmanuel.dulioust@cch.ap-hop-paris.fr
Background:
Couples in whom the man is infected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) increasingly request assisted reproductive technology (ART) to allow safe procreation. Semen quality is critical in such situations.
Methods:
Semen characteristics were evaluated in 189 HIV-infected men requesting ART. At the time of semen analysis all men were healthy and 177 were receiving anti-retroviral therapy. Comparisons were made with HIV-seronegative men, partners of women requiring IVF because of tubal infertility, after matching for age and sexual abstinence delay.
Results:
The most significant semen alterations found in the HIV-infected men were reduced percentages of rapidly progressive sperm [median (range), 10% (0-30%) compared with 15% (5-30%) in the controls, P < 0.001], and increased concentrations of non-spermatic cells [3 x 10(6)/ml (0.2-16 x 10(6)/ml) compared with 1.1 x 10(6)/ml (0.1-14 x 10(6)/ml) in the controls, P < 0.001]. HIV-infected men also showed lower ejaculate volumes [2.8 ml (0.6-9.3 ml) compared with 3.6 ml (1.1-11 ml), P < 0.05] and total sperm counts [262.5 x 10(6) (0-1003 x 10(6)) compared with 310.5 x 10(6) (48.3-1679 x 10(6)), P < 0.05].
Conclusions:
Semen evaluation in a large population of HIV-infected men requesting ART evidenced several alterations. Some of these anomalies might be related to anti-retroviral treatments.