Semen quality remains stable during 96 weeks of untreated human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate semen parameters during the natural course of asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection.


METHODS
A longitudinal cohort study.


METHODS
HIV outpatient clinic of the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.


METHODS
55 men infected with HIV-1, with infection of variable duration but without previous or current antiretroviral therapy.


METHODS
Biannual blood and semen analyses.


METHODS
We examined the changes in semen parameters over time using a repeated measurements mixed-effects model.


RESULTS
The mean follow-up period was 77 weeks (interquartile range: 39 to 111 weeks). The mean CD4 cell count showed a statistically significant decline from 480 to 400 cells/mm(3), and the mean blood plasma HIV-1 RNA concentration showed a statistically significant increase from 4.1 to 4.3 log(10) copies/mL. None of the semen parameters showed any statistically significant change over time.


CONCLUSIONS
Prolonged exposure to asymptomatic, untreated HIV-1 infection does not affect semen quality. These findings should be reassuring for untreated men infected with HIV-1 who wish to father a child, and they also provide relevant background information for studies investigating the potential effect of antiretroviral therapy on semen quality.
van Leeuwen
Elisabeth
E
Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. e.vanleeuwen@amc.uva.nl
Wit
Ferdinand W
FW
Prins
Jan M
JM
Reiss
Peter
P
van der Veen
Fulco
F
Repping
Sjoerd
S
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology*; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility