CAPITAL ACCOUNTS * D'IMPORTANCE CAPITALE
AIDS
becomes a sports issue
Charlotte Gray
F irst came a bombshell announcement on Nov. 7, 1991. Basketball player Earvin (Magic) Johnson, star of the Los Angeles Lakers and hero to millions of North American kids, told the world that he had tested positive for antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus. Later, a physician stated that a Montreal woman who died of AIDS-related causes had claimed to have slept with "nearly 50" professional hockey players while she was infected with HIV. Suddenly, sports news had moved to the front pages. There were headlines in every tabloid and rumours in every locker room, even concerns about the possible transmission of HIV during a game. Blood, after all, is often spilled at the hockey rink, on the football field and on the basketball court. Dr. Andrew Pipe thinks those latter concerns were much ado about very little. The risk of sports-related HIV transmission is minimal, says Pipe, physician to the Canadian national men's basketball team and chief medical offlcer with the Canadian Olympic team that will be attending this summer's games in Barcelona, Spain. "The sexual activity of the average young person in North America puts him or her at Charlotte Gray is a CMAJ contributing editor. APRIL 15, 1992
far greater risk than a basketball game," he says.
"I have no idea why a physician would make such a reflexive, irresponsible statement." Dr. Andrew Pipe, on Dr. Brian Sando's remarks about HIV and
sports
changing attitudes toward people infected with HIV or those who have developed AIDS: "He has sensitized the public to the realities of AIDS, that it affects heterosexuals as well as gays," he says. Johnson has also demonstrated that people who have tested HIV positive are not invalids. He continues to exert himself more in a day than the average North American does in a month. Each day he runs 6.4 km and shoots baskets, and he plays frequent pick-up basketball games. In late January he announced that he felt so well he was considering a return to everyday play in the National Basketball Association
(NBA).
The irony is that within weeks of his November announcement Johnson had encountered "The only case I've ever read some particularly unpleasant disabout that bears the slightest rela- crimination, and the source was a tion to this is a recent case report- physician. Johnson had indicated ed from Britain," says Pipe. It that he intended to play in this involved a vicious punch-up dur- year's Olympics in Barcelona and ing a wedding reception in Lon- in the NBA all-star game. The don where, to use Pipe's vivid NBA's medical advisers said this expression, the participants "re- posed no health risk to either arranged each other's faces" and Johnson or other players, and he HIV was transmitted from one participated in this winter's allfighter to another. According to star game. However, the senior Dr. Jacques Huguet, president of medical director of the Australian the medical council of FIBA, the Olympic Federation, Dr. Brian international basketball federa- Sando, shocked his medical coltion, there is no evidence that leagues by recommending a boysimilar transmission has occurred cott by Australian players if they during a sporting event. had to play the US basketball Johnson's announcement has team during the Olympics. been important, explains Pipe, in When contacted by the meCAN MED ASSOC J 1992; 146 (8)
1437
dia, several Australian players made clear, the risk of getting knowledge about HIV infection obliged reporters by expressing HIV through sports is virtually that existed at the time. About a concerns similar to Sando's. How- nonexistent." year ago, it decided that the broWith the media, he gently chure should be updated. The ever, it did not take long for common sense to intervene, and suggested that this was a popular, project proceeded at a leisurely the Australian Olympic Commit- sensationalist story, and that the pace until the Magic Johnson tee quickly dissociated itself from job of a responsible reporter was story broke. Since then, the task Sando's remarks. "We think that to inform readers that athletes force responsible for the update the source is ill informed," a com- like everybody else - were at risk has put the project on the fast mittee statement said. "His views from [unprotected] sex, not sport. track. do not represent the prevailing The academy, a volunteer or"We intend to bring the bromedical opinion on this subject." ganization, was less familiar with chure up to date, and to prepare a Within weeks, the US team had the public spotlight. Most of its position paper on how to deal been invited to Australia for a 500 members are active athletes; with the issue," explains Dr. Jeff pre-Olympic tour. about 120 of them, including 30 Robinson, an academy board By then, however, Sando's women, have taken the academy's member. An Edmonton family words had circled the globe. In diploma examination in clinical physician, he works two afterOttawa, Pipe and the Canadian sport medicine. (The Royal Col- noons a week at the Glen Sather Academy of Sport Medicine re- lege of Physicians and Surgeons of Sport Medicine Clinic. ceived calls from reporters anx- Canada does not recognize sport "Testing for the virus has ious to give the story a Canadian medicine as a specialty.) changed, treatment has changed," angle. Founded in 1970 as an orga- says Robinson. "It is time to rePipe is an old hand at media nized medical support system for view position statements from relations. He has been on the elite athletes, the academy has a WHO, from various US agencies, frontline of the antismoking cam- broader focus these days. Acade- from other countries." The brochure will inform athpaign for years and knew that my members look after athletes of athletes, reporters and the public all ages and at all levels of exper- letes about the risks of HIV transneeded clear, simple reactions and tise; the organization's objectives mission and necessary precauinclude the provision of better tions. The position paper will deal explanations. "I have no idea why a physi- services, and more education for with specific questions from Sport cian would make such a reflexive, both medical practitioners and the Canada on issues such as the apirresponsible comment," he said public. Its voice is a quarterly propriate way to handle bleeding of Sando's remark. "We've writ- publication, the Clinical Journal on site - on a bob-sled run, for ten to all our players and tried to of Sport Medicine. example - or the pros and cons In 1987, the academy pro- of mandatory testing. Robinson put their understandable concerns into perspective. As the World duced a brochure entitled Aids said both publications should be Health Organization [WHO] has and the Athlete, which reflected available this spring.u
1440
CAN MEDASSOCJ 1992; 146(8)
LE 15 AVRIL 1992
AIDS
becomes a sports issue
Charlotte Gray
F irst came a bombshell announcement on Nov. 7, 1991. Basketball player Earvin (Magic) Johnson, star of the Los Angeles Lakers and hero to millions of North American kids, told the world that he had tested positive for antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus. Later, a physician stated that a Montreal woman who died of AIDS-related causes had claimed to have slept with "nearly 50" professional hockey players while she was infected with HIV. Suddenly, sports news had moved to the front pages. There were headlines in every tabloid and rumours in every locker room, even concerns about the possible transmission of HIV during a game. Blood, after all, is often spilled at the hockey rink, on the football field and on the basketball court. Dr. Andrew Pipe thinks those latter concerns were much ado about very little. The risk of sports-related HIV transmission is minimal, says Pipe, physician to the Canadian national men's basketball team and chief medical offlcer with the Canadian Olympic team that will be attending this summer's games in Barcelona, Spain. "The sexual activity of the average young person in North America puts him or her at Charlotte Gray is a CMAJ contributing editor. APRIL 15, 1992
far greater risk than a basketball game," he says.
"I have no idea why a physician would make such a reflexive, irresponsible statement." Dr. Andrew Pipe, on Dr. Brian Sando's remarks about HIV and
sports
changing attitudes toward people infected with HIV or those who have developed AIDS: "He has sensitized the public to the realities of AIDS, that it affects heterosexuals as well as gays," he says. Johnson has also demonstrated that people who have tested HIV positive are not invalids. He continues to exert himself more in a day than the average North American does in a month. Each day he runs 6.4 km and shoots baskets, and he plays frequent pick-up basketball games. In late January he announced that he felt so well he was considering a return to everyday play in the National Basketball Association
(NBA).
The irony is that within weeks of his November announcement Johnson had encountered "The only case I've ever read some particularly unpleasant disabout that bears the slightest rela- crimination, and the source was a tion to this is a recent case report- physician. Johnson had indicated ed from Britain," says Pipe. It that he intended to play in this involved a vicious punch-up dur- year's Olympics in Barcelona and ing a wedding reception in Lon- in the NBA all-star game. The don where, to use Pipe's vivid NBA's medical advisers said this expression, the participants "re- posed no health risk to either arranged each other's faces" and Johnson or other players, and he HIV was transmitted from one participated in this winter's allfighter to another. According to star game. However, the senior Dr. Jacques Huguet, president of medical director of the Australian the medical council of FIBA, the Olympic Federation, Dr. Brian international basketball federa- Sando, shocked his medical coltion, there is no evidence that leagues by recommending a boysimilar transmission has occurred cott by Australian players if they during a sporting event. had to play the US basketball Johnson's announcement has team during the Olympics. been important, explains Pipe, in When contacted by the meCAN MED ASSOC J 1992; 146 (8)
1437
dia, several Australian players made clear, the risk of getting knowledge about HIV infection obliged reporters by expressing HIV through sports is virtually that existed at the time. About a concerns similar to Sando's. How- nonexistent." year ago, it decided that the broWith the media, he gently chure should be updated. The ever, it did not take long for common sense to intervene, and suggested that this was a popular, project proceeded at a leisurely the Australian Olympic Commit- sensationalist story, and that the pace until the Magic Johnson tee quickly dissociated itself from job of a responsible reporter was story broke. Since then, the task Sando's remarks. "We think that to inform readers that athletes force responsible for the update the source is ill informed," a com- like everybody else - were at risk has put the project on the fast mittee statement said. "His views from [unprotected] sex, not sport. track. do not represent the prevailing The academy, a volunteer or"We intend to bring the bromedical opinion on this subject." ganization, was less familiar with chure up to date, and to prepare a Within weeks, the US team had the public spotlight. Most of its position paper on how to deal been invited to Australia for a 500 members are active athletes; with the issue," explains Dr. Jeff pre-Olympic tour. about 120 of them, including 30 Robinson, an academy board By then, however, Sando's women, have taken the academy's member. An Edmonton family words had circled the globe. In diploma examination in clinical physician, he works two afterOttawa, Pipe and the Canadian sport medicine. (The Royal Col- noons a week at the Glen Sather Academy of Sport Medicine re- lege of Physicians and Surgeons of Sport Medicine Clinic. ceived calls from reporters anx- Canada does not recognize sport "Testing for the virus has ious to give the story a Canadian medicine as a specialty.) changed, treatment has changed," angle. Founded in 1970 as an orga- says Robinson. "It is time to rePipe is an old hand at media nized medical support system for view position statements from relations. He has been on the elite athletes, the academy has a WHO, from various US agencies, frontline of the antismoking cam- broader focus these days. Acade- from other countries." The brochure will inform athpaign for years and knew that my members look after athletes of athletes, reporters and the public all ages and at all levels of exper- letes about the risks of HIV transneeded clear, simple reactions and tise; the organization's objectives mission and necessary precauinclude the provision of better tions. The position paper will deal explanations. "I have no idea why a physi- services, and more education for with specific questions from Sport cian would make such a reflexive, both medical practitioners and the Canada on issues such as the apirresponsible comment," he said public. Its voice is a quarterly propriate way to handle bleeding of Sando's remark. "We've writ- publication, the Clinical Journal on site - on a bob-sled run, for ten to all our players and tried to of Sport Medicine. example - or the pros and cons In 1987, the academy pro- of mandatory testing. Robinson put their understandable concerns into perspective. As the World duced a brochure entitled Aids said both publications should be Health Organization [WHO] has and the Athlete, which reflected available this spring.u
1440
CAN MEDASSOCJ 1992; 146(8)
LE 15 AVRIL 1992
