Former Wales rugby captain, Gareth Thomas, has resolved a legal dispute with an ex-partner who claimed he transmitted HIV to him “deceptively”.
Ian Baum accused Thomas of hiding his HIV status and not taking necessary precautions to prevent transmission.
Thomas stated that he settled the case for £75,000 and costs, but emphasized that it did not imply guilt or admission of liability. Baum’s lawyers confirmed the settlement.
Court documents from last year indicated that Baum claimed to have been in a relationship with Thomas (also known as Alfie) from 2013 to 2016 and tested negative for HIV at the start of their relationship.
What is HIV?
- HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus – the immunodeficiency is the weakening of the immune system by the virus
- If untreated it can lead to late-stage HIV or Aids, the name for a collection of illnesses caused by the virus
- Medication helping those with HIV to live long, healthy lives has been available for decades
- Modern medication reduces the viral load to undetectable levels, meaning someone can’t pass on HIV and their health is protected
- There were more than 106,000 people living with HIV in the UK in 2020
Sources: Terrence Higgins Trust and NHS
