Banning HIV athletes

An announcement made on November 7, 1991 by a the famous basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson had tested positive for antibodies to the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV), that left us and the world pondering whether HIV can be transmitted through professional and amateur sports, especially contact sports. Every newspaper and every locker room around the world had concerns about possible transmission of the HIV during contest. Even before Magic Johnson’s time there was a US Olympic diver by the name of Greg Louganis. Greg had a situation at the 1988 Olympics when he cut his head on the diving board during one of his dives. Louganis’s physician fixed the cut, but did not wear any gloves in the process, a few years later Greg admitted to being homosexual and having HIV. The last famous athlete to be in the spotlight for HIV was professional boxer Tommy Morrison. Morrison tested positive in 1996 for HIV, but not only did he retire from the sport he so loved, Tommy came back and fought one more fight on behalf of those, like himself, were infected with HIV. Within this paper we will discuss the argument for banning HIV positive athletes and the argument against the ban.

It is thought by many people in our society that banning HIV infected athletes is an easy way out of ridding the problem. But if you look at the facts; the risk of infection from contact in sporting events is so low that no studies have shown enough to prove it. There is a higher risk of infection by needle sticks. “A study by the NCAA Injury Surveillance System and the Center for Disease Control, found that excluding boxing, the chance of HIV transmission in college athletics and other sporting events is less than one in a million games or practice exposures.” ( Dorman, 5) Many people worry even without a contact sport, if someone is using a dumbbell, or other equipment and an infected person uses that equipment and bleeds on it that we are at risk. The truth in this is that yes it can occur theoretically, “but HIV does not survive long when exposed to the drying effects of air and heat. Further, HIV is easily destroyed through the use of chlorine bleach and water solution mixed in a 1 to 100 ratio.” ( Kell, 3)

Picture any boxing match; you see jabs to the chin, low blows, knockouts, cuts, and of course, blood and lots of it. When Tommy Morrison decided to return to the ring many people were doubtful and full of fear. Morrison was not only putting his opponent at risk of getting HIV, but also may be putting others around the ring at risk too. With such a risk from many boxing officials in Nevada and Atlantic City require every boxer to be tested for HIV and with a positive result they are banned from the ri

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