Confidential Fertility Guidance for HIV+ Men
The Special Program of Assisted Reproduction (SPAR) is an international program designed to prevent infection in wives, surrogates and babies during fertility procedures using sperm from men who are living with a sexually transmitted disease, such as HIV.
Special Program of Assisted Reproduction
The Goal – is to help couples achieve a pregnancy without transmitting the father’s infection to the mother, surrogate, or child.
The Premise – is that using sperm from semen specimens with no detectable virus decreases, and probably eliminates, the risk of transmitting infection.
SPAR Overview & Getting Started
- Request a SPAR “Info Pack” – Review the steps, science, and infertility options in the info pack and on our website. Questions and concerns will be answered during your consultation.
- Schedule a Consultation – After reviewing the “info pack”, fill out the enclosed form (or web link) to request a personal conference. The entire process, the potential pitfalls, and help locating collaborating fertility clinics will be explained during a personal consult with Dr. Kiessling.
- Evaluation of Male Partner – Evaluation with respect to duration of disease, current health status, confounding infections, such as Hepatitis virus or prostatitis, and current antiviral therapy.
- Collection of two (or three) Specimens for
HIV Testing – Each semen specimen is divided into two parts: one part is used for infectious disease testing. Sperm from the remainder are washed and cryopreserved, and may remain fertile for many years.
The semen viral burden is determined by a highly sensitive PCR test that detects both free virus particles (HIV RNA) in seminal plasma and virus infected cells (HIV proviral DNA). Only sperm from specimens negative for HIV are used for fertility treatments. All specimens are also tested for Cytomegalovirus (CMV), which can infect mother and baby and has become an increasing concern in the health of newborns. When indicated, specimens can also be tested for: Hepatitis B and C, Chlamydia, and Syphilis. - Sperm are “washed,” and cryopreserved – Cryopreserved sperm from specimens with no detectable HIV are shipped to the collaborating clinic for use in IVF or insemination. The clinic can either retain the liquid nitrogen dry shipper until after the procedure and return it with any unused sperm, or store remaining specimens in the clinic’s facilities.
- Treatment at a Collaborating Fertility Clinic – Nearly 100 fertility centers worldwide collaborate with SPAR using fertility procedures that meet the needs of the couple. Most offer IVF as the fertility treatment of choice, but some also offer insemination procedures. Timing for the overnight shipping is coordinated with the clinic.
We take privacy seriously. All conversations are confidential and secure by using only HIPAA-compliant platforms. During your consultation with Dr. Kiessling, additional privacy measures can be discussed, if needed.
HIV can be found in approximately 15% of semen specimens (HIV RNA and/or DNA)
SPAR utilizes research findings that some, but not all, semen specimens from men infected with HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and Cytomegalovirus (CMV) will test positive for the infectious agent. Bedford Research Foundation scientists, led by Dr. Ann Kiessling, are at the forefront of assisted reproductive technologies and have spent more than 25 years developing reliable semen testing procedures. The laboratory methods are licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, certified by the U.S. government (CLIA) and registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (References)