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Ann A. Kiessling, PhD
Harvard Medical School Boston, Mass

JAMA. 1992;268(19):2651.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.

—The importance of semen in the transmission of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was recognized early in the pandemic and proven by the detection of cell-associated and cell-free human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in ejaculates from HIV-seropositive men.^1,2 In a more recent larger series, HIV was detected by infectivity assays in the semen of three (21%) of 14 asymptomatic men (Centers for Disease Control [CDC] class II or III) and from eight (40%) of 20 symptomatic (CDC class IV) HIV-positive men.³ This study found no relationship between the detection of HIV in semen and zidovudine therapy or peripheral lymphocyte counts. In a subsequent study⁴ using the sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay of semen from 23 men not receiving zidovudine therapy, semen samples from six (86%) of seven symptomatic patients and 14 (88%) of 16 asymptomatic patients contained HIV. Both of these studies detected HIV . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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