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Wales rugby icon Gareth Thomas has opened up once more on the difficulties of living with his HIV diagnosis, which has affected family members, including his husband, over the years
Former Wales rugby international Gareth Thomas has opened up about living with HIV and the impact public discourse has had on his husband(Image: Rob Browne)
Welsh sporting icon Gareth Thomas has found new ways to savour his life despite his HIV diagnosis. However, the former Cardiff and Toulouse star has commented in the past about how the condition has resulted in repercussions for his loved ones.
Thomas, 52, came out as openly gay in 2009, just as his career was rounding to a close at the Arms Park. He publicly announced his HIV diagnosis a decade later but confirmed his case was not contagious, aiming to raise awareness around the immune virus.
Seven years on from that reveal, Thomas is leading the most normal life he can, while still performing some abnormal feats. And he continues to campaign for awareness around HIV, with the target of one day reaching a position where there are no new cases of the condition.
“Find the strength to get tested,” he said during a recent interview with Brazilian outlet Globo. “Knowing your HIV status is essential, and if the result is positive, it is possible to lead a normal, happy and healthy life.
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“Look at me: I climb mountains, run marathons and take part in Ironman competitions. HIV doesn’t limit me in any way…If we all got tested, one day we could put an end to all new cases of HIV.”
Thomas has spoken openly about the stigma associated with HIV over the years, insisting the virus is “widely misunderstood.” Unfortunately, he has previously revealed how it has an impact on those around him and has even led to his husband of 10 years, Stephen, enduring difficulties by association.
“In a way, sadly, my family are sometimes guilty by association with me,” he told The Mirror last year. You know, my husband sometimes has difficulties at work or difficulties in society because he’s married to me.
“My husband is HIV negative, but because I’m HIV positive people assume that he’s bound to be HIV positive because they don’t understand treatment. They don’t understand that, on effective treatment, I can’t transmit through sexual contact.”
He continued: “When you walk into a restaurant, people will leave. People don’t want to share the same glass as you or use the same cutlery. They don’t want to shake your hand, they don’t want to give you a hug. They don’t want to give you a kiss.”
Thomas told Globo his activism around the HIV topic has given him a “renewed sense of purpose and determination.” Once a beacon of Welsh rugby, capped 100 times for his country and three times for the British and Irish Lions, he’s now fighting for a demographic affected across the world.
“I have spoken with athletes who hide their sexuality for fear of the public’s and fans’ reactions, and the impact this would have on them and their families, but I haven’t spoken to many who hide an HIV diagnosis,” he added.
“I think that remains a very private matter. I am fortunate to live in a country where I can access treatment and have family support, and where being gay isn’t illegal; but that isn’t the reality in some countries around the world, where one’s sexuality or HIV status could lead to imprisonment or, in some cases, something even worse.”
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Thomas is living proof of what can be achieved post-diagnosis and continues to break his own boundaries athletically. His example should be proof enough as to what’s possible living with HIV, depending on one’s detection status.
When asked what he would tell the younger him if given the chance, Thomas replied: “What I would say to my 20-year-old self is: life is going to be extremely difficult. But it is by overcoming those tough times that you find success. And, even more importantly, it is in those moments that I have found my happiness.”
