HIV AND ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES

Should HIV discordant couples have access to assisted reproductive technologies?

M Spriggs¹ and T Charles²

¹ Ethics Unit, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Childrens Hospital/University of Melbourne. Centre for Human Bioethics, Monash University
² Mitochondrial Laboratory, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Childrens Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
M Spriggs
Ethics Unit, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Childrens Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; spriggsm{at}murdoch.rch.unimelb.edu.au

In this paper we identify and evaluate arguments for and against offering assisted reproductive technologies (ART), specifically IVF, to HIV discordant couples (male partner HIV positive, female partner HIV negative). The idea of offering ART to HIV discordant couples generates concerns about safety and public health and raises questions such as: what is an acceptable level of risk to offspring and should couples who want this assistance be subject to selection criteria; should they undergo scrutiny about their suitability as parents when those who are able to conceive naturally face no such scrutiny and people with other illnesses are given access to ART? We conclude that offering ART to HIV discordant couples is likely to produce more benefit than harm and violates no ethical principles. Nevertheless, a decision to deny treatment need not constitute unjustified discrimination.

Keywords: assisted reproductive technologies; HIV discordant couples; IVF; public health

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