Hepatitis and HIV

Over the past half-century, people suffering with hemophilia were the benefactors of astounding scientific advances and breakthroughs in their disease.  

However, the very treatments which bestowed so many benefits led to indescribable tragedy in the 1980s.  The nation's blood supply, which to people with hemophilia was their lifeline, became tainted with the HIV (AIDS) and Hepatitis C viruses. As they transfused 'concentrated clotting factors' into their veins to stop bleeds, they also transfused viruses which were in many cases fatal and in others so dangerous that they would change the lives of those people forever.

By 1983 pharmaceutical companies were heat-treating Factor products and later they developed Recombinant Factor to reduce the theoretical possibility of the transmission of viruses from blood plasma. Fortunately, within our hemophilia population in the US, there have been no new cases of AIDS reported from people using these products.

For more information on HIV and Hepatits please check out the following websites:

Centers for Disease Control - www.cdc.gov/hiv.htm

HIV and Hepatitis - www.hivandhepatitis.com