Public Perception Of Hiv
One of the most important contributions Johnson has made to people with HIV is making people more aware and understanding of the virus. Johnson announced his retirement from the NBA and made his diagnosis public very quickly and then opened up about his experience.
“My ignorance could cost me my life, but I wanted to try and ensure that no one else would become infected with HIV for the same reason” Johnson wrote in Sports Illustrated on November 18, 1991.
“I said that because I had tested HIV-positive, I was retiring from the NBA. I also said that I was going to become a spokesperson in the fight against the human immunodeficiency virus and an advocate for practicing safe sex by using condoms. I also said I was going to beat the disease. And I will,” Johnson wrote.
He lived up to that promise by making regular appearances, giving interviews and being an activist for HIV and AIDS organisations. “Johnson went on to attack the HIV stigma with the same passion he displayed on the court, launching the Magic Johnson Foundation to raise awareness about the virus, then pushing Congress and the White House to spend money to fight the disease,” wrote Nelson Oliveira for CBS News .
Magic Johnson Marks 30 Years Since Disclosing His Hiv Status
Plus, as an ambassador for the NBAs 75th season, Magic Johnson encourages players and fans alike to get COVID-19 vaccinations.
Thirty years ago, an HIV disclosure stunned the world. On November 7, 1991, Magic Johnson, then at the height of his NBA stardom, held a press conference to announce that he had tested positive for HIVthe virus that can cause AIDSand was retiring from the Los Angeles Lakers immediately. This was six years before effective combination treatment became available and at a time when an HIV diagnosis was widely viewed as a death sentence.
Much has changed since then.
Today, Johnson is great and thriving while living with HIV. Though he used to take HIV meds three times a day, hes down to one daily pill, and his virus is undetectable, he told CBS Mornings cohost Gayle King last week . Whats more, hes a 62-year-old grandfather and the CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises, an investment company focused on underserved communities. And hes an ambassador to the NBA, which is celebrating its 75th season in that role, he encourages players to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
God has really blessed me! Today marks 30 years living with HIV so the message resonated with me in such a tremendous way. I thank the Lord for keeping me, giving me strength, and guiding me for 62 years but especially the last 30. ????????
Earvin Magic Johnson
How Does Johnson Stay So Healthy
In the years since his diagnosis, Johnson has defied the stereotypes surrounding HIV and AIDS. Hes been surprisingly candid about how he got the disease, admitting to hundreds of random, unprotected sexual encounters while on the road during the 80s.
Although other players have spread the rumor that Johnson was gay or even bisexual, Johnson has dedicated himself to educating people about HIV and AIDS. He did a series of promotional videos in the 90s and even wrote a book on the subject. Its been almost 30 years since his initial diagnosis. The question often comes up: How does he stay so healthy?
The truth is, there isnt really a secret, according to Live Science. Johnson is not alone in having survived with the disease for so long. The key is preventing HIV from progressing into AIDS through a cocktail of medications and enzymes that arrest its development. If anything, the only secret is that Johnson was on the pioneering edge of that cocktail, and had early access to what has become a standard treatment in the modern era.
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The Lakers Legend Remembers How Telling His Wife Was The Most Difficult Part Of Being Diagnosed With Hiv
Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson has become a living testament to advances in medicine that have turned human immunodeficiency virus from a death sentence into something that can be managed and lived with. While Johnson can now attest to 30 years of life after being diagnosed with HIV, his journey living with the disease has been far from easy.
During an appearance on CBS Mornings, Magic Johnson discussed living with HIV three decades after he was initially diagnosed with the virus prior to the 1991-92 NBA season. Johnson remembered the devastation of his diagnosis, and said that the most difficult part was having to tell his wife Cookie — who he had just married, and whom had just become pregnant with their child.
“It was hard because I loved her so much and I hated to hurt her,” Magic Johnson said.
Its still the toughest thing Ive ever had to do in my life: says that he hated having to tell his wife about his HIV diagnosis. But 30 years later, the NBA legend is still pursuing his passions, with Cookie by his side.
Media Figure And Business Interests
In 1997, his production company Magic Johnson Entertainment signed a deal with Fox. In 1998, Johnson hosted a late night talk show on the Fox network called The Magic Hour, but the show was canceled after two months because of low ratings. Shortly after the cancellation of his talk show, Magic Johnson started a record label. The label, initially called Magic 32 Records, was renamed Magic Johnson Music when Johnson signed a joint venture with MCA in 2000. Magic Johnson Music signed R& B artist Avant as its first act. Johnson also co-promoted‘s Velvet Rope Tour through his company Magicworks. He has also worked as a motivational speaker, and was an NBA commentator for Turner Network Television for seven years, before becoming a studio analyst for ESPN’s NBA Countdown in 2008.
In 1990, Johnson and Earl Graves Sr. obtained a large interest in the Washington, D.C. PepsiCo bottling operation, making it the company’s largest minority-owned facility in the U.S. Johnson became a minority owner of the Lakers in 1994, having reportedly paid more than $10 million for part ownership. He also held the title of team vice president. Johnson sold his ownership stake in the Lakers in October 2010 to Patrick Soon-Shiong, a Los Angeles surgeon and professor at UCLA, but continued as an unpaid vice president for the team. In February 2017, Johnson returned to the Lakers as an advisor to Jeanie Buss.
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Magic Johnsons Hiv Diagnosis
Its November 7, 1991, and Magic Johnson has just announced at a press event that he has tested HIV positive. Beside him at the podium is his wife of only two months and the soon-to-be mother of his son, Cookie Johnson.
The nation is utterly floored by the news. This is because, in 1991, Magic Johnson was the face of the NBA, possibly one of the most beloved players at the time.
A lot of people started to wonder if Johnson was gay because up to this point it had only been queer celebrities who had been diagnosed with the disease. A lot of the celebrities were outed for their sexuality.
People like Liberace, Freddie Mercury, and Rock Hudson had all been outed because of either their deaths from HIV/AIDS-related illness or their diagnosis.
In reality, Magic Johnson was the very first heterosexual celebrity to announce their diagnosis publicly. His decision to go public was mostly due to the insistence of an AIDS activist.
As this article from Frontline explains, it was Elizabeth Glaser who convinced Magic to go public with his HIV diagnosis. Glaser ended up with the disease when she had to have a blood transfusion while giving birth to her daughter.
Glasers infection led to the infection of both her daughter and her son. This was because during the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 90s, donated blood wasnt tested for HIV.
You can watch Magic Johnsons announcement to the press of his HIV diagnosis in the below video.
Questions About Hiv Medications
Yes. HIV medications are highly recommended for all people living with HIV, regardless of whether or not they have any noticeable symptoms caused by HIV/AIDS. The sooner HIV medications are started after a person is infected with HIV, the better their long-term health outlook is. So, delaying HIV medications until your immune system is weak or until you start feeling ill can be harmful in the long run. Also, HIV medications have many benefits for your health besides just preventing symptoms of HIV. First, HIV medications help prevent HIV from progressing and getting worse in the future. Second, HIV medications may help reduce the risk for cancer, heart disease, and other health issues that can be caused by long-term HIV infection. Third, HIV medications greatly reduce the risk that someone with HIV can transmit the virus to others.
HIV medications remain the only proven method to keep HIV under control at this time however, many people take HIV medications and also seek other forms of natural, herbal, or alternative treatments to help keep themselves in good mental and physical health. It is always a good idea to discuss any herbs or other medications you take with your doctor or pharmacist as some herbs do interact with HIV medications.
But, sometimes, running out of medications is just unavoidable.
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Magic Johnson: The Nba Superstar Who Smashed Hiv Stigma Then Built A Huge Fortune
He stunned basketball fans and transformed HIV awareness by announcing his diagnosis in 1991. Thirty years on, he discusses his relationship with Anthony Fauci, the meaning of money and why hes still optimistic
On 7 November 1991, a press conference in Inglewood, California, brought America to a standstill. Against a black-draped backdrop, dressed in a black suit, white shirt and multicoloured tie, Earvin Magic Johnson, spoke calmly into a single microphone and told the world that he had been diagnosed with HIV.
Cameras flashed and reporters clamoured to ask questions, but Johnson, National Basketball Association superstar and one of the worlds most revered athletes, appeared unfazed as he announced his immediate retirement. Had he grappled with his own mortality? When had he found out? How had he acquired the virus? What would he do next?
I plan on going on living for a long time, bugging you guys like I always have, he told reporters, his optimism surprising those who viewed his condition as a death sentence. I guess now I get to enjoy some of the other sides of living.
As we talk today, right now, Im thinking, Wow its been 30 years and Im still here, healthy. Everything has gone right. There was one drug then, now we have 30-something drugs, he says.
Dr Ho and Dr Fauci calmed me down, because I was thinking I was going to die
Without those two, he says. I probably wouldnt be here.
Magic Johnson Opens Up About His Health Career 30 Years After Hiv Diagnosis: You Just Sit There And Say What Does This Mean Am I Gonna Die
When Magic Johnson’s iconic basketball career was interrupted by a stunning HIV diagnosis three decades ago, the newlywed NBA legend had no idea how much time he had to live or how the virus would affect his wife and their unborn child.
“You just sit there and say, what does this mean? Am I gonna die?'” he told “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King.
Johnson, who remains HIV-undetectable to this day, opened up about living with the virus and his career in an exclusive interview for “CBS Mornings” nearly 30 years after he publicly announced his HIV diagnosis.
Today, the Lakers star is a loving father and grandfather, a successful businessman, a philanthropist and the CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises. He and Cookie have been together throughout this time, and neither she nor their son, Earvin Johnson III, have HIV.
At the time of his diagnosis, Johnson thought the virus was a death sentence.
“I had to really learn a lot about the disease, HIV as well as AIDS. I had to make sure that I was open-minded enough to ask a lot of questions, go get a lot of information from different people,” he said.
Johnson first learned of his diagnosis after a routine physical ahead of the 1991-92 NBA season. He was called back home from a pre-season game in Utah, so that Lakers team physician Dr. Michael Mellman could deliver the news in person. When Johnson first heard the news, he was “devastated,” he said.
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Questions About Relationships And Hiv
Yes. There are a number of ways to meet other people living with HIV. Many organizations serving people living with HIV have support groups or more informal social meet-ups. In Seattle, Seattle Area Support Groups holds support groups and social meetings for people living with HIV who are recovering from addiction, newly diagnosed or newly dealing with their diagnosis, or who have an interest in books or games. BABES Network with the YWCA hosts lunchtime peer support groups for women living with HIV. Lifelong AIDS Alliance also hosts a support group. There are also many ways that people meet others via the internet. There are forums and chatrooms for people living with HIV, and there are also dating websites designed just for people living with HIV .
In Washington State, you are legally obligated to disclose your HIV status to any sex or needle sharing partners. It is your choice whether or not to disclose your HIV status to anyone else, such as roommates, parents, employers, and friends. It is generally a good idea to tell doctors and dentists about your HIV status as it might impact how effectively they can diagnose and treat health conditions. Social support is very important and most people find that there are benefits to having at least one close friend, partner, or family member who knows about their HIV status however, how, when, where, and with whom you share your HIV diagnosis is a decision that only you can make and you dont need to rush into it.
Was Magic Johnson Cured Of Hiv
Basketball great Magic Johnson has not been cured of human immunodeficiency virus, which remains latent in his body, but as of February 2015, he remains in good health. He attributes his good condition to early detection, compliance with anti-HIV medication and a healthy lifestyle.
Johnson was diagnosed with HIV in 1991 and since then has become an activist for public awareness of the disease. He is the founder of the Magic Johnson Foundation, which works to educate people about safe sex practices and the need for testing for the virus. Through his foundation, Johnson also works to increase public acceptance of people diagnosed with HIV.
HIV is a virus spread by direct contact with an infected persons blood, semen, seminal fluid, vaginal fluids or rectal fluids. This usually happens through anal or vaginal sexual intercourse or sharing needles used for injecting IV drugs. Nursing babies can also be infected through breast milk. Other means of transmission are less common, but all involve direct contact between the bloodstream, damaged skin or mucous membranes and infected body fluids. The CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 be tested at least once for HIV and that people who engage in unsafe sex or needle sharing be tested annually. Early detection and treatment improve the odds of staying healthy.
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Magic Johnson Celebrates Life 25 Years After Hiv Diagnosis
âNovember 7, 1991 was a life changing day that I never saw coming,â Earvin âMagicâ Johnson wrote on his site, The Playbook.
November 7, 1991 was a life changing day that I never saw coming, Earvin Magic Johnson wrote on his site, The Playbook.
That was the day that Johnson was diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus . Although the acronym still carries a heavy burden, it held even more weight 25 years ago.
Back then it was considered to be a death sentence and a disease called gay cancer. Many early diagnoses were traced back to blood transfusions, especially in babies. But Johnson was one of the first straight public figures to come out with the diagnosis and at the time, he had only been married to his wife, Cookie, for 45 days.
He said, If you want to leave, you know, I dont blame you. Its okay. I understand, Cookie recalled in an interview on Good Morning America. Then I said, Are you kidding me? No. I love you. Im gonna stay here and help you live. Im gonna stay here and were gonna beat this thing. Were gonna figure out how to beat this thing.
“Life Is Going To Go On For Me…” – November 7th, 1991. Read here:
Earvin Magic Johnson
Twenty-five years and three children later, the couple is still together.
The press conference 25 years ago.
Earvin Magic Johnson
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Repeat And Falling Short
Before the 198788 NBA season, Lakers coach Pat Riley publicly promised that they would defend the NBA title, even though no team had won consecutive titles since the Celtics did so in the 1969 NBA Finals. Johnson had another productive season with averages of 19.6 points, 11.9 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game despite missing 10 games with a groin injury. In the 1988 playoffs, the Lakers swept the San Antonio Spurs in 3 games, then survived two 43 series against the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks to reach the Finals and face Thomas and the Detroit Pistons, who with players such as Bill Laimbeer, John Salley, Vinnie Johnson and Dennis Rodman were known as the “Bad Boys” for their physical style of play. Johnson and Thomas greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek before the opening tip of Game 1, which they called a display of brotherly love. After the teams split the first six games, Lakers forward and Finals MVP James Worthy had his first career triple-double of 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists, and led his team to a 108105 win. Despite not being named MVP, Johnson had a strong championship series, averaging 21.1 points on .550 shooting, 13.0 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game. It was the fifth and final NBA championship of his career.
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