People with HIV can now be sperm and egg donors
May 16, 2024Same-sex couples with non-transmissible HIV can now donate eggs or sperm and become parents.
UK laws are being updated to reflect scientific evidence indicating that it is safe, according to experts.
Highly effective medication can eliminate the risk of transmitting the virus.
According to ‘BBC’, this change is part of broader efforts to enhance IVF access and ensure equal rights. The law modification will allow thousands of same-sex couples, where one or both partners have HIV but an undetectable viral load - meaning the virus can’t be passed on - to have children.
Image Credit: Canva
Previously, the only provision for HIV involved a man donating sperm to a female partner.
Campaigners are calling this a “huge win” for both HIV and LGBTQ+ rights.
Deborah Gold from the National Aids Trust stated: “We are now looking ahead to Parliament approving this secondary legislation, and celebrating the huge difference it will bring to lives and choices of LGBT+ people living with HIV who want to start a family.”
Individuals with HIV can now donate sperm or eggs to family, friends, and known recipients provided that:
• They have a “sustained, undetectable viral load”;
• They have been receiving antiretroviral treatment for at least six months before donation; and
• The known recipient is aware of their HIV diagnosis and consents.
Ministers are also removing extra screening costs for female same-sex couples undergoing shared motherhood IVF treatment, where one partner provides the egg and the other carries the embryo.
Currently, these couples, unlike heterosexual ones, must get screened for syphilis and undergo genetic tests for conditions like cystic fibrosis, which can cost over £1,000.
Health Minister Maria Caulfield noted that the changes would create a fairer system, allowing more people to “fulfil their dream of becoming parents.”
Minister for Equalities Stuart Andrew MP said: “Treatment for HIV has improved significantly, saving countless lives, but the stigma surrounding it persists.
“These changes will help to reduce that stigma, making it clear that people with HIV can live full and happy lives.”
According to the government, clinics should be able to start implementing these changes in the next few months.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, which regulates clinics, announced it would soon provide guidance to assist with the transition.
Due to antiretroviral drugs, most people living with HIV in the UK have an undetectable viral load in their blood and therefore cannot transmit HIV sexually.
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