Citation Information

Heath L, Frenkel LM, Foley BT, Mullins JI (2010). Comment on “The origins of sexually transmitted HIV among men who have sex with men”. Science translational medicine, 2(50), 50le1; author reply 50lr1. (pubmed) (doi)

Abstract

Whether HIV from seminal cells or free HIV in semen is the origin of transmitted virus has important implications for the design of transmission prevention strategies. We found that a recent claim that HIV originates from seminal plasma and not from seminal cells was erroneous, because it was based on biological specimens that had been mislabeled, mixed-up, or contaminated. The origin of transmitted virus from semen therefore remains an open question.