Contaminated blood scandal: Martin's story

Public hearings begin on Tuesday in the public inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal in the UK.

Thousands of NHS patients with haemophilia and other bleeding disorders are believed to have been infected with HIV and hepatitis viruses through contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 80s.

Martin Beard found out he was HIV positive at the age of 17, and was told at the time he had only two years to live. He describes living through "a very difficult, dark time" at the height of the stigma surrounding HIV.

The inquiry opened in September 2018 and is expected to hear evidence from many people who have been affected.