title: Reproductive assistance in HIV-1 discordant couples.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The total number of people living with HIV has reached 39.5 million. In developed countries, the major risk for HIV transmission is by heterosexual intercourse. The general condition and life expectancy of many patients with HIV infection is very good, and three-quarter of these individuals are in their reproductive years. For these reasons a large number of young couples are expected to make future plans to have children. Assisted reproduction in HIV-1 discordant couples has become important for clinicians in preventing HIV-1 transmission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The main theme covered in this article is epidemiology of HIV-1 in the world, the biology of the virus present in the sperm, the recently published guidelines from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and ethics recommendations concerning assisted reproduction in people infected by virus, and all clinical aspects and scientific data published that have been modified to allow assisted reproduction in HIV-serodiscordant couples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To evaluate in clinical practice the safety of HIV-1 assisted reproduction with sperm washing and the outcome of assisted reproductive technologies offered to HIV-1 serodiscordant couples counselled for the prevention of HIV transmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sacco Clinical Sciences Institute, University of Milan Medical School, Milan, Italy. valeria.savasi@unimi.it
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Savasi
authors.forename: Bina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Parrilla
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ratti
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferrazzi
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000821:virology