Letters

Storage facility exists for sperm from patients positive for antibody to hepatitis C virus

EDITOR,--We recently encountered considerable difficulties in arranging the storage of sperm from a 19 year old man with severe haemophilia A who was positive for antibodies to hepatitis C virus after an infusion of infected pooled blood products. He had normal transaminase activities and had developed no other viral complications. He had been diagnosed as having stage IIE Hodgkin's disease and needed to start chemotherapy. He had a good prospect of being cured of this disease and was keen to have the option of starting a family later. Ten fertility centres with facilities for long term storage of sperm were approached. Only two were able to offer help, albeit with some delay.

As a result of this case, the University College Hospital Trust has set up a separate storage facility at the Thorn Institute at the Middlesex Hospital, London. It is disappointing that such a service is not provided more widely, and until this action was taken no such facility was available at all. Hepatitis C virus has a low rate of sexual and intrafamilial transmission,^{1 2} and we are not aware of any cases in which it has been transmitted by stored bone marrow or semen. A case of hepatitis B acquired from stored bone marrow was recently described,³ and hence vigilance is required for all potentially transmissible agents. With isolated storage facilities now provided, all patients who are positive for antibody to hepatitis C virus should be able to preserve their long term fertility.

EDWIN J MASSEY Registrar in haematology
H DASANI Locum consultant in haemostasis
University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff CF4 4XN

P JONES Director
Haemophilia Centre,
Royal Victoria Infirmary,
Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4LP

A K N SALEEM Consultant haematologist
Withybush General Hospital,
Haverfordwest SA61 2PZ

Edwin J Massey, H Dasani, P Jones, A K N Saleem