Effects of HIV-1 infection and antiretroviral therapy on semen parameters and sperm DNA integrity

It has been estimated that 35 million people worldwide and 0.2% of Italian population has a chronic HIV-1 infection. The use of antiretroviral drugs has provided a noteworthy improvement in both the quality and the expectancy of life of people infected with HIV; therefore, as three quarters of infected people are in their reproductive years, many couples with an HIV positive partner can consider pregnancy planning. The aims of this study were twofold: the first aim was to assess the effect of HIV-1 infection on semen parameters; the second aim was to evaluate the effects of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on sperm DNA fragmentation comparing HIV-1 infected patients receiving HAART versus naïve HIV-1 infected patients.