Explained: Why athletes are being warned about one-night stands or casual sex

First Post

03-05-2025

Learn how athletes can face unexpected doping risks from casual sexual encounters. Experts have warned that even kissing could lead to failed drug tests and may impact their careers in the long run. read more
Athletes around the world recently got a surprising new warning about avoiding casual relationships or they may risk failing drug tests. It might sound unusual, but experts say it's a real concern.
In recent times, a new trend has popped up where elite athletes are testing positive for banned drugs, not because they intentionally cheated, but because they had intimate contact with someone who used these substances.
This has become especially tricky with social media, where casual hookups mean the athlete might never meet the person again and may not get the chance the prove their innocence.
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What happened?
At a recent anti-doping summit, top sports lawyer Mark Hovell explained this problem using a famous example. Back in 2009, French tennis player Richard Gasquet was tested positive for cocaine. Gasquet strongly denied ever taking drugs. Eventually, he proved that he got cocaine in his body just by kissing a woman in a nightclub who used cocaine herself.
'Gasquet managed to get her to come and give evidence to say: 'Yes, I'm a cocaine addict. I use cocaine. I kissed him in this nightclub.' But with a one-night stand, how are you going to be able to find that person again? That's the problem,' Hovell said.
Another similar example was American boxer Virginia Fuchs in 2020. She tested positive for banned substances. After investigating, it turned out that the banned drugs got into her body from her partner through sexual contact. Because she could prove this, she avoided punishment.
A more recent example is the Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner. Last year, Sinner tested positive for clostebol, a banned substance. The International Tennis Integrity Agency eventually investigated and found Sinner had accidentally ingested the banned substance through a body massage. He was later banned by WADA for three months.
Why is this happening?
The main reason this is happening is that some banned substances can transfer from one person to another through kissing or sexual activity. Even tiny traces of substances like clostebol and ostarine can show up in drug tests.
When athletes unknowingly get exposed this way, their careers could be unfairly damaged. Even very small amounts found during tests can lead to severe bans.
What is being done to protect athletes?
Travis Tygart, head of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), has expressed serious concerns. He believes the current rules aren't realistic or fair. Tygart said the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) must urgently update their rules, especially by increasing the threshold for these substances.
'I think based on the cases we've seen, watch who you kiss and watch out who you have an intimate relationship with,' Tygart said.
Meanwhile, athletes must be cautious about who they become intimate with because even a simple kiss could potentially end a promising career.