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Magic Johnson is a real star. But what is your first thought when you hear this name? A famous basketball player, I believe. Maybe some of you know that he is also a showman, successful businessman, music producer, and has even been into politics. His figure is really significant and recognizable in the U.S.A. and all over the world, but lots of people know him for another reason: Magic Johnson is HIV positive, and he dedicated a huge part of his life to the battle against the virus.

His fight was not only to save his own life. Of course he was courageous enough not to give up and live on. He found his way through a dark period — the HIV infection was a real bane for all people back in the early 1990s — but the most important thing he did was stand up and speak aloud about his diagnosis. He showed that life does not end when you see those three letters. That gave great support and hope for Others diagnosed with HIV at the time.

In this article, I want to tell you about this man, his life and contribution to combating HIV/AIDS globally, how he has helped, and is still helping, thousands of people to overcome the virus in many countries. He was not the first VIP to contract the virus. By the time Johnson had announced his diagnosis, Rock Hudson, a movie star from the ‘50 and ‘60s, was already dead. But the case of Magic Johnson was very important because it changed the profile of the infection and attitude to it. Let’s see why and how this happened.

Announcement of Diagnosis

Magic, born Earvin Johnson Jr. on August 14, 1959, was raised by a school janitor and a General Motors worker. The Johnson family was very sportive of Magic; both parents played basketball in their childhood, giving him the passion for sports. The name “Magic” was given to him when he was 15 years old, finishing high school as the best player in Michigan. Johnson continued playing basketball during his college years, trying to balance it with his studies. However, his success in sports shaped his future. In the season of 1979-80, he joined the Los Angeles Lakers NBA team.

There is barely an award or a title he does not have:

• He is a five-time NBA champion.
• He participated in 12 NBA All-Star games.
• He was chosen as the most valuable player of the season and finals several times.
• He was honored as the best player in the league nine times.

I can tell more of his achievements in sports since they are numerous, but the time of his success was also the time when he was diagnosed with HIV.

It is not a secret that Magic Johnson could get any woman he wanted, back in the ‘80s. Magic himself told about the huge popularity of Lakers at that time. He claims that was the way he contracted the virus. Magic has never found out who the woman was that he contracted HIV from, and I do not think that he is looking for her. His wife and son were not diagnosed HIV positive.

His wife, Cookie, was with him on November 7, 1991, during the announcement about his status at a press conference. There he also said he was going to retire. Before Magic revealed his diagnosis, a popular theory was that HIV/AIDS was a disease of gay and bisexual men. The case of Magic Johnson proved that anyone, including heterosexuals, could catch it. It was one of his reasons to stand up and talk publicly about the virus. He wanted all straight men to know they should be aware, too. Magic and his press conference had changed the profile of HIV/AIDS forever, and the stigma was broken.

Magic Johnson Is Still Alive

So, our basketball star has been HIV positive for at least 28 years now. Many have wondered how he is still alive? Is Magic Johnson HIV resistant, or does he have the remission? Unfortunately, neither. There are no drugs yet to cure this infection. However, it is possible to keep it under control and stop the reproduction of the virus. In the early '90s, the highly active antiretroviral therapy was still to be developed and improved, but there were experimental drugs that helped. Magic was one of the pioneers to test those ART regimes and open the way to a healthy and happy life for all HIV positive patients.

There were rumors that he received special medicines available exclusively for wealthy people. There's no proof to this. Believe it or not, his story is not unique, as there are many people who have been living with the virus for 30 years and more. They take medications that keep their immune system effective and prevent the development of AIDS, which is the last, lethal stage of HIV infection. Still, Johnson's openness about his diagnosis is very important for a global fight against HIV/AIDS. He expanded awareness that it is not a death sentence.

The drugs improve their effectiveness and safety every year. Modern ART regimes allow people to live with the virus without noticing any changes in their health state; moreover, they have no side effects. Even if a patient is at the advanced stage of the infection, after several months of treatment, they do not have any symptoms of poor immunity. Some drugs included in the ART are now used as pre-exposure prophylaxis. The effectiveness of PrEP is proved by numerous studies. It is widely used by key populations and people with risky behavior.

You Always Can Help People

Magic Johnson did much more than just talk about his HIV status. The same year he retired from the NBA, Johnson started a foundation named after him. The Magic Johnson Foundation provides free HIV testing for people in ethnically diverse communities, works on raising awareness of the infection and how it is spread, develops youth leadership, etc.

Since its founding, the organization has helped thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS. This is why I believe Magic Johnson did more than others to assist in ending the AIDS epidemic:

• He was not afraid of the stigma and did not hide his diagnosis.
• He showed us that HIV is a threat for everyone.
• He proved that you could live a happy, healthy life with it.
• He demonstrated that if we worked together, we could beat it.

For many of you, there is nothing special about this today. But believe me, to do it in 1991, Magic Johnson is definitely a real hero.