Together for HIV and AIDS prevention

As athletes and sportspeople we need to:
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● be a true friend. A friend with HIV is still your friend. You cannot get HIV from playing sport,
holding hands or working together;
● accept people. People living with HIV are not asking for your pity but rather your support.
They want the same chance as you to live their life to its fullest potential... both on and off
the sports field;
● inform ourselves. HIV can be terrifying so inform yourself. If you do that then you will see
that you have nothing to fear for people living with HIV. Just follow the rules;
● not be afraid. There is no need to be fearful about a person with HIV. Treat a person with
HIV the same way as you would like to be treated if you had HIV; and
● follow the coach’s directions if there is an injury involving blood on the field.
Some actions to help people living with HIV participate:
● working with HIV-positive and affected young people to cope with HIV-related stigma;
● involving sports men and women living with or affected by HIV and AIDS as resource persons
in your sports programmes and activities.
“Discrimination can stop people from fulfilling their
potential. Don’t discriminate against people living
with HIV.”
Cathy Freeman, Australian, Track and Field Olympic
Gold Medallist.
Box 6: Coaches and athletes responding to HIV-positive athletes
● HIV-positive athletes should be allowed to participate in all forms of competitive sports;
● HIV-positive athletes should be informed of all risks of transmission to other persons;
● a HIV-positive athlete’s right to confidentiality should be respected;
● routine HIV testing for athletes should not occur;
● regulations to discouraging athletes from injecting substances to improve their performance
in sports should be reinforced; and
● all athletes should receive counselling regarding the risks of HIV transmission through
sexual intercourse.
Together for HIV and AIDS prevention 57