A complete surrogacy program is possible for HIV+ intended parents. Here's how we approach it medically, legally, and with the care this topic deserves.
Being HIV positive does not close the door to biological parenthood. With today's treatment and a laboratory protocol called sperm washing, your genetic material can be used to create embryos safely, and your surrogate is never exposed to the virus. It is a standard part of how we work, not an exception we make.
Every HIV program at Fertility Solutions Center runs on the same all-inclusive structure as our other programs: the medical process in our own clinic, a fully informed surrogate, the Amparo legal protection, and one team accompanying you from the first call to the birth certificate in your names.
The protocol is the same one used by fertility centers worldwide for serodiscordant couples. In the published medical literature, more than eleven thousand washed-sperm cycles have been reported without a single transmission to a partner or a baby.
You stay on your antiretroviral treatment, and your doctor confirms an undetectable viral load. This is the starting point of every HIV program, and most intended parents already meet it when they contact us.
In the laboratory, the sperm cells are separated from the seminal fluid, where the virus is carried. The washed sample is what moves forward; the fluid is discarded.
Before anything else happens, the washed sample is tested by PCR to confirm no viral material is detected. Only a sample that tests negative is used to fertilize the eggs.
Embryos are created by ICSI, where a single sperm cell is placed inside each egg. The embryo is then transferred to your surrogate, who carries a pregnancy created without any contact with the virus.
Your surrogate knows from the beginning that she is joining an HIV program. She receives a clear explanation of the protocol from our medical team, she is screened and cared for exactly as in any other program, and she gives her consent in writing. Because the embryo comes from a washed, PCR-negative sample, her pregnancy carries no exposure to HIV.
Yes. Sperm cells do not carry HIV; the virus travels in the seminal fluid and in certain white blood cells, both of which are removed during washing. The washed sample is then confirmed negative by PCR before fertilization. This protocol has been used for decades, and the published series of more than eleven thousand cycles report no transmission to a partner or a child.
Yes. An undetectable viral load on stable antiretroviral treatment is the entry point of the program. If you are not there yet, we can still plan your timeline with you and start once your doctor confirms it.
Yes. Each partner's sample goes through the same washing and PCR protocol independently, and embryos can be created from both. Many of the two-dad families we work with choose exactly this path.
In many cases, yes. Eggs are retrieved under laboratory precautions, fertilized by ICSI and transferred to your surrogate, so the pregnancy itself carries no exposure. Our medical team reviews each case individually before confirming the plan.
The program structure and the all-inclusive model are the same. The additional laboratory steps are part of the medical plan we quote for you, so there are no surprises later. We go through the full breakdown on your consultation call.
Only with the people who need it to keep everyone safe: our medical team and your surrogate, who consents to the program knowing the protocol. Your status is not part of any public record and does not appear on the Amparo or the birth certificate.
Tell us where you are in treatment and where you would like to be as parents. On a free consultation call, our coordinator walks you through the HIV protocol, the timeline and the all-inclusive cost, and answers everything you want to ask.
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