Gareth Thomas reveals he's HIV positive

[Leinster Fan]

Terrible news.

Saw him talking about it on the BBC, he seemed very emotional. The bravery of coming out to talk about it can't be understated. The man is a hero.

 

[Umaga's Witness]

sux

 

[McTallshort]

Modern medicine is very good at dealing with HIV now. Although it's bad news he can live a full and happy life even with HIV

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Yeah, very sad to hear. But as Tallshort said the drugs available now to keep it under control are much more advanced than 20 -30 years ago, to stop it going into full blown AIDS. And he's now married; settled long term relationship.

 

[petite]

this man has serious balls

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Listened to an interview with Thomas on the radio this morning. Highly emotional and it sounds like his hand was forced by the media.

His parents only found out when a journalist knocked on their door and asked them what they thought about it. Unf*cking believable, and you can only assume that someone somewhere must have breached a confidence, whether professional or otherwise.

This in the same week that the media dredged up a distressing 30 year old story about Ben Stokes' family to which Stokes has, rightly, reacted furiously.

The British gutter press really can be complete sh*ts. Selling papers is the only issue here, neither story is remotely in the public interest and both have caused clear and unnecessary distress to those involved.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Yeah I heard the same interview. The Sun are complete scum in my book. Some elements of our press are just the worst and shows they haven't learnt from the phone hacking scandal.

I read Ben Stokes also has a complaint against the Sun.

 

[ncurd]

One could argue it was a news story if Thomas was still playing and keeping it a secret from the authorities, I belive the actual risk of transmission even in a contact sport is extremely low but still.

However both these stories don't constitute news at all in my book. It geuninely annoys me Stokes' statement has meant the rest of the press can run with it as well....

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

@ncurd, agreed in principle although revealing health matters without consent has always been a big data protection no-no.

We don't know exactly how the story reached the press, but if there is a legal angle I'm sure some very good lawyers would be more than happy to help out Thomas.

One argument I've heard for running the Stokes story is that it's fine as its all in the public domain anyway......in my book there's a big difference between legal and ethical with tabloids only understanding one of those concepts. The family member who co-operated is going to be off a lot of Christmas card lists.

 

[ncurd]

@ncurd, agreed in principle although revealing health matters without consent has always been a big data protection no-no

Aye its a complex matter when your health puts others at a legtimate risk (I think this is key here if the risk is negligable its not a story or should be reported) I think you are duty bound to report that.

In a far more extreme example where it was wrong there was a new story a while back about someone going to jail for deliberately trying to infect people with HIV by not disclosing themselves to sexual partners.


This is academic though Thomas is not currently playing, he didn't put people at risk and this gutter trash shite.

 

[Gavin]

Just read on the BBC that Thomas didn't even get a chance to tell his parents. It was a journalist who told them. Pretty horrible thing for them to do.

Former rugby player Gareth Thomas has revealed a journalist broke the news he had HIV to his parents before he had spoken to them about it.

He said he would "absolutely not" have made his diagnosis public if a tabloid had not made threats to publish it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-49739345

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Gareth Thomas: Former Wales rugby star settles HIV case with ex

Former British and Irish Lions captain Gareth Thomas says he has agreed to pay £75,000.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Gareth Thomas: Former Wales rugby star settles HIV case with ex

Former British and Irish Lions captain Gareth Thomas says he has agreed to pay £75,000.

www.bbc.co.uk

Is he basically admitting that he did by agreeing to settle, even if legally he would pay this and costs "without accepting liability". Or at least some guilt that he did pass it onto him because that is how it comes across.