Guest Editorial

HIV: Knowledge is Power

Earvin “Magic” Johnson
Guest Editorial Archives
Friday, December 3, 2004; Page 18

Once, basketball was the most important thing in my life and Larry Bird was my biggest challenge.  When I learned I had HIV, I would’ve faced 10 Larry Birds rather than having to face my wife, Cookie.  I’ll never forget driving home after the doctor told me I was infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.  Horrible thoughts raced through my mind.  What if I had infected my wife, or our unborn child?  Walking into our home to tell Cookie I had HIV is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

First, my wife hit me upside the head.  Then she said, “We’re going to get through this together.”  She got tested right away.  Fortunately, we found out in time and my wife and son were not infected.

HIV is one of the biggest challenges the African American community has ever faced.  We represent about 13 percent of the U.S. population, but more than a third of the AIDS cases reported since the onset of the epidemic are among our people.  African Americans account for more than half of the 40,000 new HIV infections estimated to occur in the U.S. each year. 

African Americans are 10 times more likely to progress from HIV to full-blown AIDS compared to Whites. Today, African Americans represent 44 percent of men living with HIV and 68 percent of women. Baltimore is one of the cities hardest hit by the disease, with nearly 7,000 people living with AIDS, and African Americans account for 82 percent of AIDS cases.

Cookie was right.  We must get through this together.  We must stand together as families, as communities, as African Americans, and as Americans.  We must face our fears and defeat the stigma of HIV that makes us afraid to be tested or treated. With HIV, knowledge is power and this is what I’ve learned about HIV:
  • I am not cured.  There is no ‘magic’ cure for Magic Johnson, and there are no special treatments for me.  The medications I take are available to people living with HIV in America.     
  • The virus isn’t an automatic death sentence.  Today, there are drugs that allow many people infected with HIV to live.  It’s been 12 years since I learned I had the virus.  I’m able to help other people because I’ve taken care of myself.  I take my medicines every day, exactly as my doctor prescribes.  I also keep a positive attitude, I work out, I take care of my body and my mind.  I have been blessed, and I count my blessings every day. 
  • Get tested for HIV.  When we’re afraid, we sometimes just don’t want to know.  But if there’s any chance that you have HIV, you need to know.  You need to be tested.  The sooner you are diagnosed and learn about your treatment options, the better your chances of getting the disease under control and remaining healthy.  You also have a responsibility to know so you don’t pass the disease to others.
  • Don’t try to do it alone.  If you have HIV, or are worried that you may have the disease, tell someone you trust.  Forget about what other people might say; focus on keeping yourself alive.  If you do nothing and you do have HIV, you give the virus an opportunity to multiply and grow stronger inside you. The longer we remain silent, the larger the problem becomes.
  • The best way to fight HIV is not to get it in the first place.  HIV can be prevented.  To protect yourself, you have to give up things that put you at risk. The leading causes of HIV in African Americans are unprotected sex with someone who has the virus and sharing or using dirty needles when using drugs. When it comes to sex, it’s best to not have sexual relations if you do not know the HIV status of your partner.  If you are married or in a relationship, be true to your wife, your husband or your partner.  Be tested together to find out if you have HIV.
I never believed HIV would happen to me, Magic Johnson.  Well, it did.  With the help of God and my family, I changed my life.  I got treatment, I take my medications and I take care of myself. I have the support of my family, my friends and my community, and I am grateful.

It was hard to come out and tell the world I had HIV, but I knew I needed to.  I also knew I needed to do something positive about this and have found the one thing I can do is help educate people about HIV. That’s why I’m working with GlaxoSmithKline to reach as many people as I can through advertising and, most importantly, face to face meetings in cities across the country.  That’s where I tell people about my experience with HIV and what they need to do to help themselves and others.  It’s my mission.

I want to share what I’ve learned from this experience.  I want to tell kids, ‘You can still be Fly High Cool’ when you say “no.”  Saving your life, saving your community – now that’s really ‘Cool.’ 

It takes courage to act.  We need to be strong and have the courage to be tested.  If we have HIV, we need the courage to tell our family and friends.

We also need the help of everyone in our community – from our pastors to our teachers to our neighbors.  Everyone has power to act and change things. We are faced with a calamity that threatens our people and I believe in us.  I believe we can overcome this, too. 

 

© Copyright 2004 The Washington Informer