Surrogacy for HIV-Positive or Hepatitis B/C Parents

Parenthood seemed, until recently, unattainable or highly risky for people with HIV, hepatitis B or C. Thanks to advances in reproductive medicine and specialised protocols such as SPAR (Special Program of Assisted Reproduction), it has now become a reality — with full protection of the child, the surrogate mother, and the parents themselves.

This applies across every family model. Whether it is a heterosexual couple, a same-sex couple exploring gay surrogacy, or a single father, an infection no longer closes the door to parenthood. The medical approach is the same; what changes is how the programme is built around each family’s situation.

How It Works

HIV, hepatitis B and C are not genetic conditions: they are not passed on through DNA and are not present in the sperm cell itself. The virus is found in bodily fluids, which means the risk of transmission can be eliminated at the laboratory level.

The future father’s sperm undergoes a cleansing process (sperm washing): the sperm cells are separated from the seminal fluid, which may contain the virus. The sample is then tested for viral load — only material with a negative or undetectable result is used for fertilisation. The cleansed sperm is frozen for later use. This makes it possible to use the genetic material of an infected man in a gestational surrogacy programme without any risk of transmitting the virus.

Surrogacy for Infected Women

On the woman’s side, the situation is more complex. When an infected woman wishes to use her own eggs in the programme, a fundamental obstacle arises: the egg is a large cell, surrounded by its own micro-environment (follicular fluid, surrounding cells), from which the virus cannot be reliably removed in the way it can from seminal fluid. A validated method for purifying eggs of the virus does not yet exist.

The approach therefore differs: an infected man can become the genetic father thanks to the cleansing of the sperm, whereas for an infected woman it is not yet possible to safely use her own eggs. In that case, egg donation comes to the rescue — a donor egg from a healthy, screened donor is used instead. This is not a limitation but a well-established route: you can choose a suitable donor from our egg donor database, reviewing medical history, screening results and photos before deciding.

For a single father, or for a couple in which the man carries the infection, the logic is the same, and the process closely follows a standard surrogacy for single men programme, combining a screened donor with a gestational carrier.

How Such a Programme Is Organised

The SPAR programme, specially designed for HIV-positive men and parents with hepatitis B or C, offers a safe, effective, and regulated way to have a child through surrogacy. A programme involving an infected father requires not only a special cleansing of the material, but also a separate, secured line in the IVF laboratory, isolated from the general flow of samples. This prevents any cross-contact and ensures the safety of the other patients throughout the surrogacy process.

The specific protocol for the donation and storage of the sperm depends on the serological status of the future father — this determines the requirements for processing, testing, and the conditions for cryopreservation of the material. Each case is assessed individually, since parameters can vary considerably from one person to another.

How to Begin

Before the start of the programme, our doctors ask the future father for a series of examinations: the level of the viral load, information about the therapy he is following, and other parameters. Based on these, an individual protocol is drawn up. The first step is therefore a consultation, during which the doctors assess your situation and determine the optimal programme plan for you.