Sports Seconds: HIV not worth the risk on the football field

Despite the extremely slim chances of being affected with HIV during a football contest, it is not worth the risk.

This controversial topic took centre stage in the Canadian Football League (CFL), when Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker Trevis Smith got charged with aggravated sexual-assault in Surrey British Columbia. Police said Smith had unprotected sex with a woman despite knowing he had tested positive for HIV.

This raises the question of whether players infected with the HIV virus should be allowed to continue to play in the CFL, or in other professional sports.

The CFL is taking steps to educate their players on HIV and AIDS by sending packages to all nine teams in the league. Involved in putting the packages together was the Canadian Public Health Association. Dr. Elinor Wilson, the association's chief executive officer, who said the risk of becoming affected is very minimal.

“Players shouldn't be concerned about competing against someone who is HIV positive,” Wilson said. “In terms of someone having a cut and bleeding, the risk of transmission is extremely, extremely low. It isn't a huge concern for people.”

Wilson said there are 56,000 Canadians currently living and working with HIV and a football team is no different than any other workplace when it comes to a person disclosing that they are HIV positive.

I don't know what Wilson is thinking, but I think it is a very far-fetched concept to compare the job of being a professional football player to any other regular job. Someone working a typical 9-5 job does not generally run at full speed at a fellow employee and tackle them to the ground.

And to say that the risk of transmission of HIV is extremely low, is something that professional football players should not have to remotely concern themselves with while doing their job.

Any amount of risk is too much as far as I'm concerned, especially considering the life altering consequences of transmitting the HIV virus.

Having played high school football, there is not one instance that I recall that I did not receive some type of cut, scrape, or laceration during a contest or practise.

The HIV virus is obviously spread most commonly through sexual contact or the sharing of needles, and there have been no cases in any sport where the HIV virus has been spread by any other means during a sporting activity.

Why risk changing this statistic? Especially in football, players who have the HIV virus should be forced to disclose this information to their respected teams despite any privacy issues, and subsequently should not be able to participate as a player in the league.

It would be a harsh action to take, and would not be popular among certain critics. However, I feel it would be necessary to ensure the quality health of players in the league, and to ensure there is absolutely no risk to a player of obtaining the HIV virus while doing their job.