Human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection in an infertile population

Objective The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) in an infertile population. Design The study design included a retrospective anonymous survey of clinical data and screening for HIV-1 antibody by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) in stored sera. Samples that were ELISA-positive were further tested by Western blot assay. Frequency distributions were analyzed by Fisher's exact test. Setting University tertiary care center. Participants Based on availability of stored frozen sera, the total study population included 182 of 304 consecutively registered infertile couples. Results Seventy-five percent of the study population were found to have one or more risk factors for HIV infection. Of the 252 sera tested, 10 were repeatedly reactive by ELISA, and Western blot testing confirmed HIV-1 infection in one woman and two men. Conclusions This relatively high HIV-1 seroprevalence (male: 2.6%; female: 0.6%) in a low-middle class infertile population emphasizes the urgent need to implement on-site HIV-infection counseling aimed at preventing the spread of disease to the healthy partner and fetus and to discuss therapeutic and reproductive options.