How HIV infected haemophiliacs in Japan were informed of their HIV-positive status

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to find out how HIV-infected haemophiliacs were informed and notified of their HIV infection. Self-reporting questionnaires were mailed to approximately 500 patients, about one half of the haemophiliac patients with HIV in Japan. The response rate was about 57% (n=283); and 270 (male=269) patients, apart from secondary and tertiary infected patients, were eligible as subjects for the study. The mean age was 31.2 +/- 9.9 years. Of these subjects, approximately 60% did not receive explanation regarding the risk of HIV infection via unheated blood products. More than 60% did not receive notification until 1990, or five years after the test became available in Japan. Contents of the explanations being given at the time of notifications were poor. In this paper, some problems of notifications of medically induced HIV are discussed, and the lack or delay of explanation/notification is concluded to be a consequence of the paternalistic attitudes of Japanese physicians and the iatrogenic nature of HIV infection.

Concerns regarding Transfusions of Blood Products Derived from Genetic Vaccine Recipients and Proposals for Specific Measures

“…On the other hand, even if a person has not received a genetic vaccine, if they have had long COVID, it is possible that the spike protein remains in their body, and thus it would be better to keep an official record of whether they have long COVID or not [51,[111][112][113]. As the degradation rates of pseudouridinated mRNA and spike protein in the body are unknown at present, blood products derived from genetic vaccine recipients should be used with extreme caution, being conscious of the cases of AIDS, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) caused by the use of contaminated blood products in the past [110,[114][115][116][117][118][119][120][121]. PCR and liquid biopsy are the options.…”

Transfusions of Blood Products Derived from Genetic Vaccine Recipients: Safety Concerns and Proposals for Specific Measures

“…In contrast, in cases where individuals underwent long COVID without receiving a genetic vaccine, the likelihood of the spike protein remaining in their body is possible; therefore, maintaining official records of the occurrence of long COVID is essential [52,[113][114][115]. The degradation rates of pseudouridinated mRNA and spike protein in the body are yet unknown; therefore, blood products derived from genetic vaccine recipients should be used with extreme caution, considering that cases of AIDS, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), caused by the use of contaminated blood products, have occurred earlier [105,[116][117][118][119][120][121][122][123].…”

Disclosing haemophilia at school: strategies employed by mothers of children with haemophilia in Japan

“…In 1985, the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Japan permitted the use of heated blood products for treatment, but did not prohibit the sale of unheated products until 1987 [14]. Moreover, numerous patients with haemophilia and HIV were not informed of their HIV status for several years [15]. Therefore, the infection spread among patients with haemophilia and their family members and sexual partners.…”