The Women’s Sports Foundation urges sport leaders to take strong positions in favor of drug-free sports. International governing bodies of sports should impose bans on international sports participation by those nations in which institutionalized use of performance-enhancing drugs has been demonstrated.

With the HIV/AIDS epidemic affecting 33.2 million people around the world1, attention given to HIV-positive athletes and their participation status has dramatically increased over the last 20 years. Roy Simmons, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and the late Arthur Ashe are just a few of high-profile athletes who have been diagnosed with HIV. The fact that HIV is a blood-borne pathogen (an infection spread through blood contact), poses serious questions to the athletic world: Should an athlete who has contracted a blood-borne pathogen be allowed to engage in competitive athletics? More importantly, should athletes who test positive for blood-borne pathogens be allowed to participate in contact sports?

Taking any illegal or banned substance which alters the normal functioning of the mind or body for the purpose of enhancing athletic performance is a decision to cheat, endanger one’s health and encourages others to cheat.