Question:

Question, If a male were to ejaculate into a condom, then placed that condom in a regular at home freezer and the semen became frozen, if that male was HIV positive, would the semen still be infectious after it was thawed out?

Answer provided by:

Mark H. Katz, M.D.
Regional HIV/AIDS Physician Coordinator
Kaiser Permanente of Southern California

Although it would be easily surmised that freezing would be an effective way of killing HIV, there have been reports of potentially transmitting the virus through bone grafts, and this could imply surviving freezing. In terms of the scenario you describe, I think that keeping the virus alive through freezing semen in a condom in unlikely--but not proven. I would have to say, "We don't know for sure."

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