HIV+ Linebacker Arrested For Sexual Assault

[Mercy!]

I might as well not comment about the sexual assault part since it’s only an accusation at this point. But I’m surprised that the level of ignorance is still so high about how HIV is contracted. The remarks by Tony Miles sound like something you might have heard 15 years ago.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

November 15, 2005

 

H.I.V. Debate Emerges in Canada

 

By RICK WESTHEAD

 

Nearly a decade after Magic Johnson made a highly publicized comeback to the National Basketball Association five years after testing positive for H.I.V., a similar controversy has engulfed an infected player in the Canadian Football League. It has rekindled debate over whether athletes who contract H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS, should be barred from competition.

 

Trevis Smith, a former University of Alabama linebacker who has played the past seven seasons with the C.F.L.'s Saskatchewan Roughriders, was arrested Oct. 28 in Regina, Saskatchewan, and charged with aggravated sexual assault.

 

In an unusual twist, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police disclosed that Smith was H.I.V. positive because it said it felt that a public warning about Smith's health status was necessary. Also, Roughriders officials admitted that they had known that Smith was H.I.V. positive for more than a year but allowed him to continue playing. The team has said privacy laws prevented other players from being informed about Smith's illness.

 

Constable Marc Searle said in a telephone interview that a complainant identified in court documents as only "A. O." claimed that the 29-year-old Smith assaulted her between Nov. 26, 2003, and May 18, 2005. Searle would not elaborate on the specifics of the complaint. Under Canada's criminal code, an aggravated sexual assault is deemed to have occurred when a victim has been wounded, maimed, disfigured or had his or her life endangered during the assault.

 

After a court hearing Nov. 2 in Surrey, British Columbia, Smith, who is married and has two children, was freed on bail of $10,000 Canadian and was ordered by a judge to practice safe sex, tell all future partners that he is H.I.V. positive and surrender his passport.

 

Speaking to reporters after Smith's bail hearing, his lawyer, Paul Harasen, described Smith as "an educated, quiet, strong individual who has done a lot of good work in the community."

 

"He denies the charges and he will plead not guilty," he added.

 

The court placed no conditions on whether Smith could keep playing for the Roughriders, but he has not played since the arrest and instead has been placed on Saskatchewan's disabled list. The Roughriders lost to Montreal in the playoffs Sunday. The league has declined to comment on Smith's situation while his case is before the courts.

 

Several N.B.A. players, including Karl Malone, were critical of Johnson's attempt to return to the court in 1992, and those concerns caused Johnson to end his comeback. He made another comeback in 1996 and faced less resistance from other players. Similar concerns have been raised in Canada about Smith's future. In the wake of Smith's arrest, the Canadian Public Health Association, a public watchdog group, has sent AIDS awareness brochures to each of the nine teams in the C.F.L.

 

Tony Miles, a wide receiver with the Toronto Argonauts, said he was shocked C.F.L. officials did not inform players about Smith's illness.

 

"I don't want to be the one who goes out and plays a sport that I love and comes home H.I.V. positive," Miles said in an interview with The Toronto Star. "I'm just overwhelmed that he was out there playing while H.I.V. positive and carrying on with his everyday life as if he was like everyone else. He was walking around and talking to the guys in the locker room and he was H.I.V. positive."

 

Johnson's 1991 announcement that he was infected with H.I.V. prompted the N.B.A. to introduce a rule that requires any player who is bleeding to leave the game. The wound must be bandaged before he can re-enter. Most other major professional leagues have adopted similar rules. Also, trainers in most sports now wear gloves when treating players who have open wounds.

 

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company

[The Critic]

Wow.

Incredible that someone still honestly thinks that in 2005.

[Steff]

Wow.

Incredible that someone still honestly thinks that in 2005.

 

 

Legit concern in the bathroom area, no?

[Kyyle23]

I remember these debates when Magic came out and admitted he was HIV+. Isnt there a very small probability of contracting the virus even when the contact involves infected blood near open wounds? I dont know the specifics, but i thought I read that the virus dies immediately when it is exposed to open air.

[jackie hayes]

So his reaction is stupid because...?

 

The idea is that players bleed in football. If 2 bleeding players collide, and the open wounds come in contact, HIV may spread from one to the other. Now, okay, I know it has never actually happened. But I've never heard anyone explain why it never could happen. Until I hear that, I'm going to continue to think this is a legitimate concern.

[Steff]

I remember these debates when Magic came out and admitted he was HIV+.  Isnt there a very small probability of contracting the virus even when the contact involves infected blood near open wounds?  I dont know the specifics, but i thought I read that the virus dies immediately when it is exposed to open air.

 

 

If that was the case it would never spread, no?

[jackie hayes]

From what I can find, it seems to be: Sweat, no chance. Tears/saliva, possible but very unlikely. Blood, possible in theory but has never happened.

 

I know it's Canadian football and all, but they still sometimes hit hard, right?

[The Critic]

Legit concern in the bathroom area, no?

I didn't read any mention of the bathroom area.

He seemed concerned about the guy walking around and talking to the guys in the locker room.

I'm just going by what he said. If he has concerns beyond walking and talking, he didn't get quoted on them.

[jackie hayes]

I read that differently. He only talked about contracting HIV from playing. I think the walking, talking in the lockerroom comments meant something like, 'How can you look us in the eye when you're putting everyone on the field at risk?'

[Steff]

I didn't read any mention of the bathroom area.

He seemed concerned about the guy walking around and talking to the guys in the locker room.

I'm just going by what he said. If he has concerns beyond walking and talking, he didn't get quoted on them.

 

 

I'm taking liberty and assuming he took showers in that locker room. Hell.. half the time pro locker rooms are filled with half naked men playing X-Box... they have no shame.

[The Critic]

I'm taking liberty and assuming he took showers in that locker room. Hell.. half the time pro locker rooms are filled with half naked men playing X-Box...  they have no shame.

But even a shower wouldn't spread HIV, nor would playing naked Xbox ( Rated X-box? ).

If he had voiced concerns about blood or something, that would be something I could understand, but if he really thinks a guy walking around a locker room is going to give him HIV, then I just think that's ridiculous.

[Kyyle23]

If that was the case it would never spread, no?

 

Why? It is communed through blood transfusions, sex, exchanging bodily fluids, it isnt an airborne virus. What i meant is if player A has HIV and gets a cut, and runs into player B who also has a cut but not HIV, and Player A's blood is near Player B's cut, the chance of transmitting the virus is very very small.

[Steff]

But even a shower wouldn't spread HIV, nor would playing naked Xbox ( Rated X-box? ).

If he had voiced concerns about blood or something, that would be something I could understand, but if he really thinks a guy walking around a locker room is going to give him HIV, then I just think that's ridiculous.

 

 

 

I'm not saying a shower would.. but blood and semen and (debatable) saliva would (from studies I've read). A cut, a quick "alone" session, or spitting might be the stem of teammates concerns. I have no idea.. but to say their concerns are stupid.. is kinda... stupid. IMO, of course.

[Steff]

Why?  It is communed through blood transfusions, sex, exchanging bodily fluids, it isnt an airborne virus.  What i meant is if player A has HIV and gets a cut, and runs into player B who also has a cut but not HIV, and Player A's blood is near Player B's cut, the chance of transmitting the virus is very very small.

 

 

 

I wouldn't want to take that chance. Would you? Risk your life, your wife, child, or other family members lives..?

 

I think the point he was trying to make is that if he was in such close quarters.. it would have been nice for him to tell them of his condition so they could take precautions that would make them feel better.

[The Critic]

I'm not saying a shower would.. but blood and semen and (debatable) saliva would (from studies I've read). A cut, a quick "alone" session, or spitting might be the stem of teammates concerns. I have no idea.. but to say their concerns are stupid.. is kinda... stupid. IMO, of course.

I'm not saying his concerns are stupid, his statement was - IMO, of course.

[Steff]

I'm not saying his concerns are stupid, his statement was - IMO, of course.

 

 

Not so many articulate pro football players out there.

[The Critic]

Not so many articulate pro football players out there. 

Those college scholarships go to good use.

[Kyyle23]

I'm not saying his concerns are stupid, his statement was - IMO, of course.

 

^^^

[LosMediasBlancas]

"The team has said privacy laws prevented other players from being informed about Smith's illness."

So, who would have been liable if (and it IS possible) another player would have become infected??

Edited November 15, 2005 by LosMediasBlancas

[Mercy!]

Because people may be uninformed does not make them stupid, in my book anyway. But these days solid information is only a couple of clicks away for those with questions.

 

Unless these men plan to share needles or have unprotected sex with each other, they should be worrying more about those awful career-ending injuries they face every time they play. As someone else has alluded to, illnesses caused by air-borne vectors – TB or killer influenza strains, for instance – are the sort of threat one would be concerned about in a locker room environment.

 

If anyone here is really concerned about casual contact, such as in a bathroom area, causing HIV transmission, they can educate themselves at any number of authoritative online sources. Like I said originally, this is the sort of talk you heard 15 years ago. Considering the number of public bathrooms and health club showers we’ve all used over the years, we should be able to put that fear to rest just from personal experiences.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/facts/transmission.htm

[Steff]

Unless these men plan to share needles

 

 

Raffy Palmero does...

 

 

 

As for the rest of your post... self education is only as good as the info supplied. All is not known about HIV, so I have no problem with people - myself included - being overy cautious. And certiantly wouldn't talk down to them because of it.. and yes.. that's what I see here.

[Mercy!]

Raffy Palmero does...

I’m not sure what it says that well over two decades into a global AIDS epidemic a multi-millionaire would share a needle while doing drugs, or taking vitamin shots, or whatever he was doing. But I would posit that your Raffy example has little to do with the development of a sane public health policy for athletic sports.

 

As for the rest of your post... self education is only as good as the info supplied. All is not known about HIV, so I have no problem with people - myself included - being overy cautious. And certiantly wouldn't talk down to them because of it.. and yes.. that's what I see here.

It’s always pretty easy to make claims about the tone of a post or the attitude of a poster who may think differently from ourselves when we disagree. Stick to the subject, Steff, and we’ll be fine.

 

What would one need to do to convince you that the possibility of HIV transmission is NOT a "Legit concern in the bathroom area." as you stated? If the folks in the bathroom weren’t doing various different kinds of “sharing” amongst themselves, of course.

[Steff]

I’m not sure what it says that well over two decades into a global AIDS epidemic a multi-millionaire would share a needle while doing drugs, or taking vitamin shots, or whatever he was doing.  But I would posit that your Raffy example has little to do with the development of a sane public health policy for athletic sports.

It’s always pretty easy to make claims about the tone of a post or the attitude of a poster who may think differently from ourselves when we disagree.  Stick to the subject, Steff, and we’ll be fine.

 

What would one need to do to convince you that the possibility of HIV transmission is NOT a "Legit concern in the bathroom area." as you stated?  If the folks in the bathroom weren’t doing various different kinds of “sharing” amongst themselves, of course. 

 

 

The Raffy comment was in jest..

 

Save your posting suggestions. And I don't care if "we're fine".

 

There's nothing you can do to convince me or change my opinion. HIV is deadly and unpredictable. Everyday new things come up concerning it. To say that it's not a legit bathroom (or anywhere - including hospitals where people get HIV from blood transfusions...) concern is ignorant - as in unformed - at the very least. Until there is a cure, it is an unknown. And a risk I'm fine with being overly cautious about.

[jackie hayes]

"I don't want to be the one who goes out and plays a sport that I love and comes home H.I.V. positive," Miles said in an interview with The Toronto Star. "I'm just overwhelmed that he was out there playing while H.I.V. positive and carrying on with his everyday life as if he was like everyone else. He was walking around and talking to the guys in the locker room and he was H.I.V. positive."

I still don't see anything where he says that he might get HIV from the locker room contact. If what he meant was, don't pretend to be my friend and teammate if you're putting me at risk on the field, what's ignorant about that?

[Steve9347]

If that was the case it would never spread, no?

 

um, no. im not agreeing with the assessment that once the virus hits the air it dies, but come on... one of the most obvious ways of contracting the disease requires no air.