How high is the risk of HIV transmission in IVF?
IVF is an assisted reproductive technology that helps couples who cannot conceive naturally realize their reproductive dreams. However, for HIV infected people, they will worry about whether their virus will be transmitted to babies through the IVF process. This article will analyze the risk of HIV transmission in IVF from four aspects.
1. IVF pre screening
IVF pre screening is an important step to ensure that fertilized eggs and embryos are free of infection risk. In some real hospitals, parents of test tube babies need to be screened for HIV. First, doctors will test the HIV infection status of mothers and fathers. If either parent carries HIV antibody, they have a high risk of transmission and are not suitable for IVF. Secondly, if both parents are HIV negative, it is necessary to ensure that the donated sperm or eggs used are also from HIV negative donors.
After these early screening, the parents of IVF can greatly reduce the risk of HIV transmission. However, this cannot completely exclude the possibility of transmission.
2. Transmission risk during in vitro fertilization
During in vitro fertilization, doctors combine HIV negative eggs with sperm to form fertilized eggs. This process requires several steps, including egg collection, sperm collection and in vitro fertilization. In this process, there are certain communication risks.
First of all, the egg collection process may lead to the contact between the blood of HIV infected people and the collection equipment. If the equipment is not properly disinfected, then there is a possibility of transmission. Secondly, in the process of sperm collection, if the sperm of HIV infected persons is used, there is a risk of transmission. Therefore, in the process of sperm collection, strict HIV screening is necessary.
Although there is a risk of transmission during IVF, most hospitals will take strict measures to ensure the safety of the operation. Professional medical staff will strictly follow the operating procedures to ensure equipment disinfection and material safety, thus reducing the risk of transmission.
3. Transmission risk during embryo implantation
Embryo implantation is the last step of IVF technology. During this process, the doctor will implant the fertilized egg into the mother's uterus for pregnancy. However, there is also a risk of HIV transmission during embryo implantation.
First, if the mother is HIV infected, there may be a risk of infection when the embryo is implanted. Therefore, in the process of embryo implantation, doctors need to ensure that the mother's viral load is low to an undetectable level, and monitor the mother's viral load. Secondly, if the father is an HIV infected person, it may be necessary to use donated eggs and mothers to help achieve pregnancy, so as to reduce the risk of transmission.
Similarly, professional hospitals will closely monitor the process of embryo implantation to ensure the safety of operation and reduce the risk of transmission.
4. Comprehensive consideration of risks
Overall, the risk of HIV transmission in IVF can be reduced, but it cannot be completely excluded. The risk of HIV transmission by parents can be effectively reduced through comprehensive measures in the process of pre screening, in vitro fertilization and embryo implantation. However, each individual's situation is different, and doctors will assess the risks and benefits according to the specific situation when making treatment plans.
To sum up, the risk of HIV transmission in IVF exists, but it can be minimized through strict early screening, operating procedures and treatment plan formulation.
