Mr. Trung and his wife, a couple from Hanoi, are attempting to save money to travel to Thailand to “find” a healthy child through sperm washing. This technique has been used in Vietnam for a long time, but for different purposes.
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Having children is the wish of every family |
Mr. Le Nhan Tuan, Director of the Hanoi Center for HIV/AIDS Prevention, stated that many couples where the husband is HIV-positive have sought his advice on having children, which is one of their greatest desires. They have learned that around the world, many HIV-positive men have successfully fathered healthy children through sperm washing prior to fertilization. Thailand is one of the countries that offers this service.
Dr. Nguyen Viet Tien, Director of the Central Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, mentioned that sperm washing is not a new technique. It has been practiced in Vietnam for a long time for the purpose of “cleaning” sperm before being injected into the uterus or used in in vitro fertilization. This increases the success rates of assisted reproductive procedures.
Sperm is placed in a ready-made solution (which is also a sperm culture medium) and then put into a centrifuge. The centrifugal force separates healthy sperm to one side, while dead, weak, or malformed sperm and seminal fluid move to the other side. If the HIV virus is present in the seminal fluid, it will also be separated from the sperm.
“The centrifugation method can eliminate the HIV virus as well as other pathogens and toxins in the seminal fluid. However, we cannot guarantee a 100% effectiveness,” Dr. Tien stated. This is the reason why the Central Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital has not accepted cases for HIV-positive individuals.
| Mr. Nguyen Huy Quang, Deputy Head of the Legal Department of the Ministry of Health, stated that the Law on HIV/AIDS Prevention and other legal documents in Vietnam do not prohibit HIV-positive individuals from having children (but they do not encourage it either). |
According to Dr. Tien, even in developed countries that have helped some HIV-positive men father children, there is still uncertainty regarding the reliability of this method. Moreover, if the HIV virus exists within the sperm cells themselves and not just in the seminal fluid, then sperm washing would be ineffective. Therefore, the Central Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital advises that when approached by HIV-positive individuals, doctors will discourage proceeding, as if the child is born with the virus, the parents will deeply regret it.
However, Dr. Tien mentioned that the hospital will not refuse couples (where the husband is HIV-positive) who have firmly decided to have a child. If the doctors do not assist, they may resort to natural conception. The sperm washing method could reduce the risks for their child. The conditions for this procedure include the wife being confirmed as HIV-negative, and the couple using condoms during all sexual intercourse. Ideally, the couple should also be financially capable of ensuring a good life for their future child.
Although the effectiveness is not 100%, the existence of this method still brings great hope to HIV-positive men. Many of them were infected before they had the chance to have children, including Mr. Trung. This 32-year-old man feels deep sorrow at the thought of leaving his young wife alone, while she yearns for a child as a cherished memory of their deep love.
“Like many other men, I do not want to leave this world without leaving a ‘mark’ of my own, which is a child. It represents the continuation of my life,” Trung shared. This desire has led the couple to consider taking risks by attempting natural conception, as not every child with an HIV-positive parent will contract the virus. However, they have exercised restraint and continue to wait and hope.
Mr. and Mrs. Trung are working hard and saving to afford artificial insemination in Thailand. They were pleased to learn that Vietnam could also perform sperm washing.
“I believe that in the near future, this technique in Vietnam will be as effective as in other countries, and the dream of fatherhood for people in my situation will no longer seem too far-fetched,” Trung said.
Thanh Nhan
* The name of the HIV-positive person in the article has been changed.
