Former UK rugby star Gareth Thomas has revealed he's living with HIV.

Thomas, who came out publicly as gay in 2009 and retired from the sport in 2011, discusses his diagnosis in an upcoming BBC Wales documentary titled Gareth Thomas: HIV and Me.

In a video released Saturday on Twitter, Thomas said living with HIV has made him “vulnerable ... but not weak.”

Thomas added that he decided to “share his secret” after being put “through hell” by blackmailers who threatened to expose that he's HIV-positive.

“Even though I have been forced to tell you this, I choose to fight, to educate, and break the stigma around this subject,” he said.

The video quickly went viral with more than 2.7 million views as of Sunday afternoon.