In 1998, three year old Talía Gonzales Lluy was diagnosed with a blood disorder that requires multiple blood transfusions to be treated. However, the donated blood was transfused into her body before it was tested for infectious diseases. Shortly thereafter, Talía tested positive for HIV. When she began attending primary school, she faced severe discrimination from school officials and teachers, and was barred from attending her classes. Further, the Gonzales Lluy family was evicted and forced to move multiple times when landlords discovered Talía’s condition. After failing to obtain recourse in the domestic courts, the family sought redress from the Inter-American Court. The Court found that the State violated the American Convention on Human Rights.
Case Summary: Gonzales Lluy et al. v. Ecuador