The Chairman of the Irish Haemophilia Society has been explaining how he was forced to distribute condoms from the boot of his car outside hospitals to members who were HIV positive.
Brian O'Mahony explained to the Lindsay Tribunal that the doctors in the late 1980s were not allowed to give condoms to HIV positive patients so they could practice safe sex. However, he said that he believed his Society's awareness campaign ensured that between 1985 and 1991 no partner of an infected haemophilia contracted the virus.
In 1985, more than 100 haemophiliacs began to be informed that they had contracted HIV from contaminated blood products. The Chairman of the Irish Haemophilia Society today praised Dr Helena Daly for advising these people to practice safe sex but legally she could not give them condoms.
Mr O'Mahony described how Dr Daly would send out haemophiliacs to the car park of Saint James' Hospital in Dublin where he would distribute condoms from the boot of his car. Mr O'Mahony said that the experience was very demeaning as many of the older men were embarrassed to be discussing such issues with him.
He said that others had difficulties as they were practising Roman Catholics and felt that using condoms was a breach of their religious practice. The statistics for the similar period in the United States was between 10% and 15% transmission.
