imal” (COHIS, 1999, 1).
To date, there is only one case of HIV infection worldwide associated with sports participation. This case in France is not considered legitimate though, because the infection cannot be directly linked to sports interaction. Otherwise, there are no known cases of HIV transmission through sports participation, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that the main risks for athletes who contract the virus are “off” the playing field (COHIS, 1999, 2). Unsafe sex, sharing of needles used to inject steroids, and other risk behavior is the cause HIV infection in athletes who contract the virus. Athletes may even be more at risk for contracting the disease than non-athletes because they share needles, engage in high levels of drug and alcohol abuse, and view themselves as having a certain invulnerability due to their physical prowess (COHIS, 1999, 4). Further, the American Medical Association (AMA), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the American College Health Association (ACHA), and other professional organizations involved in the issue all support the decision to not restrict college athletes with HIV/AIDS from participating in sports, “To date, there have been no documented cases of HIV transmission during athletic activity. Based on current medical and epidemiological information, HIV infection alone is insufficient grounds to prohibit athletic competition….The ri
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