Psychosomatic long-term sequelae after hepatitis C-contaminated anti-D prophylaxis

Topic and question

At the end of the 1970s, almost 7000 young women in the former GDR fell victim to anti-D immunoprophylaxis contaminated with hepatitis C viruses. This is regularly administered to rhesus-negative women after their first pregnancy to prevent incompatibility of the rhesus groups between the mother and her subsequent rhesus-positive children. In early 1978, suspicions were confirmed that some of the plasma donors whose blood was used to produce the vaccine had contracted viral hepatitis. Due to ignorance, misjudgement and political pressure, the contaminated ampoules were used first and later also the batches treated with contaminated washing liquid, which were administered until the beginning of 1979.

Due to the accumulation of reports of hepatitis after receiving anti-D prophylaxis, some of the affected women were forcibly admitted to infection clinics and treated. As a result of the disease caused by a pathogen that was still unknown at that time, the traumatic experiences under medical treatment and the years of ignorance about the extent of the health losses, many of these affected women still suffer from physical and psychological sequelae and struggle for social recognition.

Only recently have the women received proper support that goes beyond the statement of "vaccination damage" and recognises the "man made" trauma. In order to be able to optimise individual and group counselling as well as treatment and assessment in the interest of those affected, the aim of this project is to first work out the psychosomatic long-term consequences after administration of the contaminated anti-D prophylaxis, in order to build on this and examine its influence on all areas of life of these women.

Methodic procedure

1. Detailed conception and field access through an already established counselling group for those affected as well as through the state commissioners for the reappraisal of the SED dictatorship in the new federal states.
2. Semi-structured interview surveys with the affected women (N=15-20)
3. Evaluation of the specific forms of the dynamics of the processes of suffering
4. Publication phase