Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker Trevis Smith was arrested on charges of sexual assault twice in the last couple of months. In sports, news of this kind is not unusual, but the shocking information this case uncovered was certainly out of the ordinary. Police announced that Smith was HIV positive at the time of the arrest.

The announcement came as a shock to players, fans, and media alike. This shock has led people to question whether an athlete is responsible for sharing information of this kind.

The answer to this question is a resounding “no.” Athletes in all sports should have the choice of whether or not they want to divulge their medical problems.

“Choice” is the keyword of this discussion, as a player should be able to choose whether he can deal with the repercussions of such a revelation. AIDS is in no way something to be ashamed of, but the ignorance of many people can make it tough to expose.

Many athletes are uninformed about the disease and believe that they can be infected easily. This ignorance can spur bitterness, resentment, and anger from teammates and players everywhere, who feel that they should have been informed of such a thing earlier. That factor alone can lead to the player becoming an outcast not just around the league, but also on his own team.

Add in the scrutiny from the media, who will want to know the who, what, when, and where of his disease. Remember that this will all come to a man or a woman who has just found out that he or she is staring their immortality in the face.

Any player who feels that he can come out with his situation should look to Earvin “Magic” Johnson as an example of what to do. The three-time NBA MVP and five-time NBA champion dealt with this traumatic event over fourteen years ago.

On November 7, 1991, with courage in his pocket, Magic stunned the world when he announced that he had the HIV virus. At the time, the details of the AIDS disease were relatively unknown, which led to plenty of speculation and an assault from the media. Magic, though, was brave and honest in his admission, and took everything in stride.

Ultimately, a player must do what he or she feels is best for him and evaluate all of the factors that come with such a decision. As a society, we cannot force athletes to reveal private information and must let them make the decision that they feel is right. What’s personal is personal for a reason.

-JONAS SIEGEL