Objective: To identify risks of hepatitis C virus transmission by semen from infected donors.
Design: Case report.
Setting: Assisted fertility clinic.
Patients: Hepatitis C virus-infected semen donor and recipients of his donations.
Intervention: Testing for hepatitis C virus by serology and polymerase chain reaction.
Main outcome measures: Detection of hepatitis C virus antibodies and viral RNA.
Results: Hepatitis C virus RNA was detected in the semen donation before but not after purification; none of the recipients of the donors samples were found to have antibodies to hepatitis C virus.
Conclusions: Hepatitis C virus RNA can be detected in semen donations from infected donors; purification of donations before insemination significantly reduces the amount of viral RNA in the semen pellet.