Gone public with his diagnosis today. Very brave. Good luck to him.

What a man!
I have nothing but respect and admiration for him.
I hope this (threat of leaking the info) allows him to live his life again and releases his shackles
Its a travesty that a newspaper has forced him to do this.

I absolutely love his determination and bravery - what an example and role model!

He's gone public partly because he was being black mailed with it I read somewhere, I think he had the same issue when he revealed his sexuality.

He's also an absolute idiot for getting HIV when there are drugs available to stop that happening.
If you're not playing safe then take the drugs.....

Next question is when did he get HIV , sort of was he playing at the time which would be the big one .
Fair play to the guy for coming out a long time ago telling everyone that he is gay .

GodIsADeeJay81 wrote:He's gone public partly because he was being black mailed with it I read somewhere, I think he had the same issue when he revealed his sexuality.

He's also an absolute idiot for getting HIV when there are drugs available to stop that happening.
If you're not playing safe then take the drugs.....

You don’t know how he caught it?

cricketfieldclarets wrote:You don’t know how he caught it?

Go on then, tell us.

cricketfieldclarets wrote:You don’t know how he caught it?

Go on then..how did he?

One of 3 ways.

Dirty needle/junkie , via hospital or from sex.

PrEP has been available via online for about 5-6 years now so that will help reduce the number of gay/Bi men getting HIV.
Infected people can also take a drug that suppresses HIV/Aids so it's nearly impossible for them to pass it on.

So long as he has acted sensibly since the diagnosis I fail to see what this has to do with anyone else.
Why do we persist in behaving to this infection with such opprobrium?

mdd2 wrote:So long as he has acted sensibly since the diagnosis I fail to see what this has to do with anyone else.
Why do we persist in behaving to this infection with such opprobrium?

To be fair, if he hadn't said anything we would be none the wiser and it wouldn't be a topic for
discussion on here.

Funkydrummer wrote:To be fair, if he hadn't said anything we would be none the wiser and it wouldn't be a topic for
discussion on here.

Agreed FD but it seems he feels he has had to reveal all as in his tweet apparently "evil" people were threatening to disclose his illness.
How on earth are we still in the world of making a man feel afraid and ashamed at keeping his illness secret- when it is everyones right to have their health or ill-health status a matter between themselves and their doctors unless their illness threatens others.

Let's face it many posters sadly too many not posting now would be better off being treated for HIV than cancer, but HIV remains an illness whose victims are often ridiculed primarily because it is assumed that it is because of their sexuality and so their fault.
It is bad enough having a chronic mainly incurable illness without the stigma that is forced upon the poor victims. With this particular illness due to the amazing developments it can be controlled and the vast majority can expect to lead a healthy life-provided "joe public" can leave them alone.

Funkydrummer wrote:Go on then, tell us.

I’ve no idea.

Gareth Edwards was on tv during the week. I think it was a follow up to his programme last year on homophobia in football.

I'm not on Twitter. If I was this would be my message.

Good luck, Gareth. I hope your continue in good health and you can manage whatever health conditions you need to manage.

And, all power to you in getting all football fans comfortable with people with different sexualities.

Now there's a sobering thought

The stigma still surrounding HIV is stupid. I would much rather have a manageable chronic condition like HIV, than many other chronic conditions which are far more likely to take years off your life.

You can get HIV through one episode of unprotected sex. The vast majority of us have done that.
COPD usually caused by years of smoking doesn’t carry the same stigma. It’s weird how people think

Funkydrummer wrote:To be fair, if he hadn't said anything we would be none the wiser and it wouldn't be a topic for
discussion on here.

Never understood why people need to announce to the world that they're gay or have HIV. It's no longer a stigma to be gay, it's more of a stigma being a white straight male these days.

Here we go again.

mdd2 wrote:Agreed FD but it seems he feels he has had to reveal all as in his tweet apparently "evil" people were threatening to disclose his illness.
How on earth are we still in the world of making a man feel afraid and ashamed at keeping his illness secret- when it is everyones right to have their health or ill-health status a matter between themselves and their doctors unless their illness threatens others.

Let's face it many posters sadly too many not posting now would be better off being treated for HIV than cancer, but HIV remains an illness whose victims are often ridiculed primarily because it is assumed that it is because of their sexuality and so their fault.
It is bad enough having a chronic mainly incurable illness without the stigma that is forced upon the poor victims. With this particular illness due to the amazing developments it can be controlled and the vast majority can expect to lead a healthy life-provided "joe public" can leave them alone.

I think pretty much all people, male and female, tend to be ashamed of sexually transmitted diseases (or at least, tend not to advertise them). It's not just an HIV thing.

Firthy wrote:Never understood why people need to announce to the world that they're gay or have HIV. It's no longer a stigma to be gay, it's more of a stigma being a white straight male these days.

It's a stigma to be a white straight male? Go on then, elaborate.

Is it the good or bad version?

https://youtu.be/f3xUjw2BCYE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Firthy wrote:Never understood why people need to announce to the world that they're gay or have HIV. It's no longer a stigma to be gay, it's more of a stigma being a white straight male these days.

No it isn’t.

Firthy wrote:Never understood why people need to announce to the world that they're gay or have HIV. It's no longer a stigma to be gay, it's more of a stigma being a white straight male these days.

No it isn't more of a stigma being a straight white male.

As for announcing if they're gay, it helps those out there who're struggling with it and if they would be able to tell their loved ones without being disowned or are afraid of being bullied by others.
It makes it more normal when someone like Thomas tells the world he's gay when he's still a professional rugby player.

In regards to the HIV, he was being blackmailed / threatened with it so he took pretty much the only step he could to stop that...

Is this from a blood transfusion or unprotected anal sex ? Some innocent people get caught up in the former and the latter is a recipe for catching illnesses.

Blackrod wrote:Is this from a blood transfusion or unprotected anal sex ? Some innocent people get caught up in the former and the latter is a recipe for catching illnesses.

Is it any more different than unprotected sex with a female?

Blackrod wrote:Is this from a blood transfusion or unprotected anal sex ? Some innocent people get caught up in the former and the latter is a recipe for catching illnesses.

Unless it's many years ago, blood donors are now automatically tested for HIV and other blood disorders as a matter of routine. If the blood that they have donated is found to be infected it will be incinerated so it certainly won't be from a blood transfusion.

ClaretAndJew wrote:Is it any more different than unprotected sex with a female?

Women think they'll never catch it, or any other STD/STI, regardless of how promiscuous they are.

HIV is/was a heterosexual illness in Africa and black white gay straight, people get this infection-some innocently others by playing sexual Russian roulette but if you get chlamydia from Russian roulette there is no hue and cry-but however one might contract HIV then the mob at the moment are out in force.

GodIsADeeJay81 wrote:Women think they'll never catch it, or any other STD/STI, regardless of how promiscuous they are.

Do they?

GodIsADeeJay81 wrote:Women think they'll never catch it, or any other STD/STI, regardless of how promiscuous they are.

You don't have to be promiscuous but just have a promiscuous partner.

Rileybobs wrote:Do they?

I know plenty who don't worry about the consequences of unprotected sex and aren't shy putting it about.

Just for balance I know plenty of lads who behave the same.

mdd2 wrote:You don't have to be promiscuous but just have a promiscuous partner.

That's true enough but one lad I know who caught Gonorrhoea from a woman on her hen do

One of you just needs to stray once, there doesn’t need to be any promiscuity.

GodIsADeeJay81 wrote:I know plenty who don't worry about the consequences of unprotected sex and aren't shy putting it about.

A bit of a sweeping statement saying that women think they’ll never catch an STI. Bizarre.

Rileybobs wrote:A bit of a sweeping statement saying that women think they’ll never catch an STI. Bizarre.

There are plenty of women who don't think they will and/or don't worry about the consequences of unprotected sex

GodIsADeeJay81 wrote:He's gone public partly because he was being black mailed with it I read somewhere, I think he had the same issue when he revealed his sexuality.

He's also an absolute idiot for getting HIV when there are drugs available to stop that happening.
If you're not playing safe then take the drugs.....

There are drugs that prevent HIV? You sure you're not thinking of AIDS?

Imploding Turtle wrote:There are drugs that prevent HIV? You sure you're not thinking of AIDS?

PrEP stops you getting HIV/AIDS, that's what I said.
There's another drug that suppresses it if you've got it and massively reduces the chances of you passing it on.

PrEP isn't currently approved by the NHS/GMC last I heard, but it's easy enough to purchase and it works.

GodIsADeeJay81 wrote:Women think they'll never catch it, or any other STD/STI, regardless of how promiscuous they are.

very strange and generalising comment.

cricketfieldclarets wrote:very strange and generalising comment.

Not really, ask women you know if they've ever considered the possibility they could get HIV/Aids and you'll see that they don't think about it.

Men are equally as bad though, including with STD/STI's.

Inchy wrote:The stigma still surrounding HIV is stupid. I would much rather have a manageable chronic condition like HIV, than many other chronic conditions which are far more likely to take years off your life.

You can get HIV through one episode of unprotected sex. The vast majority of us have done that.
COPD usually caused by years of smoking doesn’t carry the same stigma. It’s weird how people think

I've mentioned on this forum previously about my Colitis, it's a chronic incurable illness that requires me to have life "normalising" drugs for the rest of my life. My treatment is not too dissimilar to the treatment for HIV in regards to the impact on life. HIV no longer carries the death sentence that diagnosis used to bring.

I don't actually think it matters how he contracted the disease - it's none of my business nor any of yours. I do think he is very courageous for publicly discussing his issues though and it is a shame that he had to because of the press.

GodIsADeeJay81 wrote:There are plenty of women who don't think they will and/or don't worry about the consequences of unprotected sex

Condoms are a lot less effective at preventing STIs than they are pregnancy as well.

Rick_Muller wrote:I've mentioned on this forum previously about my Colitis, it's a chronic incurable illness that requires me to have life "normalising" drugs for the rest of my life. My treatment is not too dissimilar to the treatment for HIV in regards to the impact on life. HIV no longer carries the death sentence that diagnosis used to bring.

I don't actually think it matters how he contracted the disease - it's none of my business nor any of yours. I do think he is very courageous for publicly discussing his issues though and it is a shame that he had to because of the press.

No medical condition should have a stigma, and I include addiction illnesses in that as well.

As I say is weird how the public think. Many still think HIV is a death sentences when in developed countries it generally isn’t. Colitis almost has the opposite issues. Some people don’t understand and therefore don’t understand the debilitating effects it can have. I used to be a charge nurse on a gastro ward and have seen first hand how utterly energy sapping, as well as painful, it can be.
I have had more than one patient with bowel illnesses tell me they have received an earful off members of the public when seen using a disabled toilet. One of the chaps that was telling me this literally took off his stoma bag and handed it to said member of the public and said “If I’m not disabled I mustn’t need this “

After today's "news" about Stokes, it make you wonder which newspaper was threatening to publish this

GodIsADeeJay81 wrote:Not really, ask women you know if they've ever considered the possibility they could get HIV/Aids and you'll see that they don't think about it.

Men are equally as bad though, including with STD/STI's.

Again. Strange comment.

The wise neutral at it again, not just women, men as well.

Thought the programme on BBC last night was brilliant and very moving.
What he’s doing to increase public awareness is brilliant - got nothing but respect for him.

What that toilet paper of a tabloid have done to him and Ben Stokes is a disgrace. Heard Nicky Morgan the culture secretary asked a question about it last night on Peston. She gave a pathetic politicians answer about the importance of the freedom of the press and it wasn’t up to the government to interfere...
....except of course she probably would interfere if they attacked her or her family - but that’s different of course.

Anyway back to Gareth Thomas - truly inspirational stuff and hope this picks up more momentum as he is definitely a man on a mission to make a difference.

TVC15 wrote:What that toilet paper of a tabloid have done to him and Ben Stokes is a disgrace. Heard Nicky Morgan the culture secretary asked a question about it last night on Peston. She gave a pathetic politicians answer about the importance of the freedom of the press and it wasn’t up to the government to interfere...

Tbf, the broad sheets are also utterly ruthless when it comes to character assassinations. Just wait till a general election is called.