A man with HIV and hepatitis C told the tribunal yesterday that when he was diagnosed he was given no information and expected to live only a year.
The witness, known by the pseudonym of Damien, said he had severe haemophilia A. Until the arrival of Factor 8, he had bleeds for weeks at a time, which restricted his lifestyle. Before that, he was on cryo-precipitate.
He was diagnosed with HIV in 1985. He had seen a lot of articles in the newspapers about haemophilia and AIDS. He rang St James's Hospital, had a blood test and was told two weeks later that he was HIV-positive.
He was told he should have protected sex, as it was known he was married, and that infection would be treated as it occurred.
"I expected to live about a year," he said.
Damien described his condition now: "I'm long-term non-progressive, but that expression only came about in the last few years. Before that, I thought it was only a matter of time."
He explained that the expression meant the infection had not damaged his immune system.
Damien described the impact the diagnosis had had on his family life.
"When I was initially diagnosed, my wife was pregnant, and she was afraid she was infected and would pass it on to the child," he said.
He tried to play down his condition, to reduce stress and worry. He and his wife used condoms, but unexpectedly had another child three years later.
Anxious about transmission of the disease to future children, he tried to have a vasectomy. He made two approaches to St James's Hospital, but it did not come back to him. His wife then went to the Coombe Hospital and requested sterilisation, which was done within two weeks.
When he was told he had HIV, assistance was never mentioned. "I was just told by a doctor. I was on my own. No assistance was offered in any way."
He told one of his children about his condition last year, when he was 15 or 16, and the other two children recently.
"They were a bit upset," Damien said, becoming emotional and pausing.
He said St James's then wrote to him, asking him to come in for a test. He went along and was told he had hepatitis C. He was told it might affect his liver in future, but he was not aware how serious it could be.
"I found more information from the Irish Haemophilia Society than from James's. Hospitals don't tell you all you need to know," he said.
There were no services. Counselling had become popular in the last few years, but it was not even mentioned at the time.
His brother was diagnosed with HIV at around the same time as he was. Damien said his brother, who also had hepatitis C, made good progress in 1996-97, but died in December 1998 of liver failure.
Asked what his overall feelings were about the situation, Damien said: "I can't help feeling that if every effort had been made, we wouldn't have the situation we're in now."