Is Magic Johnson cured of aids?

[909997]

Its been like 15 years and he looks healthy as ever.

I also read somewhere how the doctors cannot detect any HIV in his bloodstream.

Was he cured or what iam confused?

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

You're confused.

But seriously, it's all about the medicine. There is no cure for HIV/AIDS but there is medicine that can severely weaken it. That's all I know. I'm sure someone on here has a more detailed answer then that.

[sk1nzHEAD]

While there obviously isn't a cure for aids, people in the past have tested positive for HIV, then years later been diagnosed completely negative..


Not saying that's the case with magic johnson though at all..

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

While there obviously isn't a cure for aids, people in the past have tested positive for HIV, then years later been diagnosed completely negative..


Not saying that's the case with magic johnson though at all..
Yeah I believe I read somewhere that that certain flu or cold medicine can give a false positive.

[dreamingwolf]

I dont know alot about the disease, but isnt it different from being HIV positive and having AIDS?

I think he was HIV positive but never got AIDS. Again Im not an expert, and Im just saying what I think Ive heard.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

I dont know alot about the disease, but isnt it different from being HIV positive and having AIDS?

I think he was HIV positive but never got AIDS. Again Im not an expert, and Im just saying what I think Ive heard.
HIV leads to AIDS. He's been HIV positive for 15 years.

[Dblaze1119]

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=356618


Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to answer your interesting question.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jr. announced that he had contracted HIV, the
virus that often (but not always) leads to the disease known as AIDS,
on November 7, 1991 and retired from professional basketball. He later
attempted some brief professional comebacks (1992-93 and 1995-96
seasons) and even did a stint as the Lakers head coach in 1994 and
tried his hand at hosting a talk show, both of which failed miserably.

In 2001, some ten years after his initial announcement, Johnson
reported he was doing remarkably well. While he shared everyone else’s
sentiment this HIV was a death sentence (and many thought it was back
then) he and his doctors are quite pleased with his state of health
thus far.

MAGIC, 10 YEAR LATER
http://www.aegis.com/news/ct/2001/CT011101.html (http://www.aegis.com/news/ct/2001/CT011101.html)


The world was in shock that day as one of our national sports icons
tendered the sobering news while his long-time friend, basketball
great Larry Bird, stood just off camera by his side and openly and
inconsolably wept. Such a devastating announcement on national
television at the height of one’s glorious career – equivalent to
saying he’d be dead in a very short time - is not consistent with any
marketing hoax of modern times. In fact, at the time, it would have
also been equivalent to announcing he was a leper, as a vast majority
of the world tended to treat HIV positive people. Of course, we don’t
have access to his medical records or a blood test, but suffice it to
say that the stigma associated with this disease alone in those early
years would undoubtedly have prevented even the most desperate of
people (much less a superstar like Johnson) from confessing that he
contracted HIV if it weren’t true. Furthermore, it goes beyond reason
to fall for a conspiracy theory that would even comes close to
suggesting the any man would give up hundreds of millions of dollars,
his career, his fame, his reputation, and yes, even his friends to
some degree, for the sake of a marketing hoax related to AIDS or any
other cause. It seems clear that Johnson’s motivation must be genuine.

In 1997 Johnson's physicians, Dr. David Ho and Dr. Michael Mellman,
said in a statement that due to a strict treatment regimen HIV was
virtually undetectable in Magic’s body at that time:

“Earvin is doing very well. However, we must emphasize that
`undetectable' doesn't equal ‘absent’.”

“''My concern is that people are going to think that Magic Johnson is
the only person this is happening to, that he's cured, that there's a
cure for AIDS, therefore, I don't have to worry about being
infected,'' said Lee Klosinski, director of education at AIDS Project
Los Angeles. ''I hope people get the message about how important
treatment is.''


DOCTORS: MAGIC'S HIV IS AT UNDETECTABLE LEVELS, BUT HE'S NOT VIRUS-FREE
http://www.lubbockonline.com/news/040597/doctors.htm (http://www.lubbockonline.com/news/040597/doctors.htm)

The truth is, Magic Johnson is clearly NOT the only person who has
experienced this phenomenon:

“Nearly 90 percent of the people who take the powerful drugs within a
few months of being diagnosed HIV-positive have undetectable levels
similar to Johnson's condition, said Dr. Jeffrey Laurence, an AIDS
researcher at Cornell Medical Center and a consultant to the American
Foundation for AIDS Research.”


Magic Johnson could arguably be one of the wealthiest Americans on
record, but he has voluntarily forsaken his own career and has since
raised hundreds of millions of dollars for his MAGIC JOHNSON
FOUNDATION (and other organizations) in it’s ongoing fight for a cure
for AIDS in an effort to help those who suffer from the disease. By
all accounts, although there may be some disbelievers, Johnson is
indeed HIV positive. By helping others with his fame and fortune, he
might, in the process, find a cure for himself too.

MAGIC JOHNSON FOUNDATION
http://www.magicjohnson.org/about_MJ_mjf.htm (http://www.magicjohnson.org/about_MJ_mjf.htm)

Finally I would add this: If a superstar were intended to be thrust
into the limelight as the life-long world spokesman for AIDS in part
of some grand conspiracy to generate global interest in the tragedy,
wouldn’t it seem reasonable that his future coaching career and talk
show efforts would have succeeded and every famous person who also
contracted the diseases would have joined the conspiracy? They didn’t,
and like many of yesterday’s superstars, Magic Johnson has faded
somewhat from our collective memories and other more current and
measurably more famous people have announced they too have been
infected in the years since without doing nearly as much as this man
has for his determined mission.

There are those who would argue that the world was not coming to an
end if it split in two tomorrow and the two halves drifted apart into
space. Yes, unfortunately, as much as we’d all like to deny it, we
must accept as truth the fact that The Great Magic Johnson has HIV.
Why? Because he SAID he does, and he’s given up virtually everything
to combat it. I ask you logically, WHO, in his right mind would agree
to do that FOR LIFE if it weren’t so? It would be a sad testament to
human sympathy indeed for him to have to die from it in order for us
to believe it.

Below you will find that I have carefully defined my search strategy
for you in the event that you need to search for more information. By
following the same type of searches that I did you may be able to
enhance the research I have provided even further. I hope you find
that my research exceeds your expectations. If you have any questions
about my research please post a clarification request prior to rating
the answer. Otherwise, I welcome your rating and your final comments
and I look forward to working with you again in the near future. Thank
you for bringing your question to us.

[MLSKINS]

That is a good question, I would love to see more answers.

[dreamingwolf]

thats what I thought

[WVUforREDSKINS]

Cynical, but true. Its all about the money. AIDS..you will eventually die because of it. HIV is beatable if you have money. That way you never get AIDS.

The statistics on AIDS are very high because its mosly in areas where people can't afford top medicine. That's why the numbers are so high and why Magic Johnson will probably not die from AIDS.

[skinsfan07]

You're confused.

But seriously, it's all about the medicine. There is no cure for HIV/AIDS but there is medicine that can severely weaken it. That's all I know. I'm sure someone on here has a more detailed answer then that.

I'm sure he has had to pay millions and millions of bucks though for that kind of medicine.

Yea he has had it for like 15 years and looks still the same.

[Chump Bailey]

Magic Johnson was already in excellent shape when he acquired the virus. Adding to that he obviously has vast resources to spend on maintaining his health - good food, supplements etc...


The medication is probably better than it was before. Personally, I feel the medication used previously did much more harm than good. It is not an automatic death sentence anymore for most. Anabolic steroids are of huge benefit also to such patients. They will just have to co-exist with the virus throughout their life. Viruses have the upper hand in most instances in their battle with "modern" medicine.

[gbear]

As of a 10 years ago when I was looking into the meds for a research paper I was writing for work, the new drugs can reduce HIV to undetectable levels. However, when they stop taking the drugs, it comes back. There is still no cure.

[Cyber Pimp]

There is a cure for aids. You just have to be able to afford it.

[rumpshakers]

You're confused.

But seriously, it's all about the medicine. There is no cure for HIV/AIDS but there is medicine that can severely weaken it. That's all I know. I'm sure someone on here has a more detailed answer then that.

He is taking the best "cocktails" that money can buy. The average person cant afford such exocitic treatment as Magic.
Cocktails are a mixture of drugs that help reduce his T cell count.

[Riggo-toni]

There is a cure for aids. You just have to be able to afford it.

Trinoaceole

[Die Hard]

There is so much ignorance in this thread is mind-numbing.

People can live with HIV for many years.... there have been instances of people living with it for 20-25 years. How does that happen? Leading a healthy, stress-free lifestyle.

Inevitably, though, your white blood cell count will drop below a certainly level (200) and at that level, you are diagnosed with AIDS and given the "cocktail".

[Cyber Pimp]

Trinoaceole
Whats that?

[gbear]

Cyber,
Is it a cure that works when you stop taking the drugs? Nothing I have read indicates that to be the case.

Everything I have read indicates that with the HAART treatment, you can reduce viral loads down to an almost negligable level. However, you still have HIV/AIDS. THese drugs are expensive, but if taken on a regular basis can allow one to live a fairly normal life. That said, if one stops taking the drugs, HIV viral laod bounces back and can damage the immune system (progressing to AIDS).

HBO had a special on Magic not to long ago. He works hard to stay in shape and be able to keep taking the drugs. Given that he is still taking the drugs, I would assume he is not "cured."

The only cases I know of where a person tests positive for HIV but it goes away permanently is with new borns. When a child is born to an HIV positive mother, they will often test positive for HIV. Later (not sure how many months), they may test HIV negative and remain negative from then on unless they contract it on their own. Usually, a kid who tests positive at birth is considered HIV indeterminate.

[Rocky21]

Magic Johnson is/was HIV positive. He has never had aids. HIV can lead to aids but has not in Magic's case. There is no cure for aids regardless of the amount of money you have. The treatment for HIV is getting better all the time.

[PeterMP]

HIV intergrates its DNA into the human DNA quickly upon entering your body. There is no known way to effectively remove it from the DNA once it has been intergrated. There is no way to selectively kill the cells that have a copy of the HIV DNA. When your cells divide, they copy ALL of the DNA so that both cells get a complete copy of the DNA so all of the cells that have a copy of the HIV DNA will pass it on. Therefore once you have HIV you are always HIV positive in all known cases (there is some small chance that the HIV DNA in your DNA will mutate so that it no longer can make a functional HIV virus, but that would have to happen in all of the cells that contain a copy of the HIV virus DNA and the mutation rate for most people is very low so that is very unlikely). The HIV DNA encodes for all of the information needed to make more HIV viruses.

When you actually get AIDS, that means that the DNA is being used to actively make a LOT of virus and it overwhelms your body. The key to not getting AIDS is to kill the new HIV viruses being made in your body quickly/early so that they do not infect other cells and integrate the HIV DNA into those cells. Essentially, if you have one cell that has the HIV DNA even taking into account the division of the cell, the number of copies of HIV DNA and therefore the number of actual HIV viruses that can be produced remain low. If that one cell though is allowed to make HIV viruses that then infect other cells and give them the HIV DNA, then those cells then will also make HIV viruses. Going from one cell to two cells doubles the amount of virus that can be produced. Keeping the number of HIV infected cells low (those that have a copy of the HIV DNA), keeps the number of HIV viruses made low and your body is not overwhelmed. The way to do that is to dignose HIV early and then give drugs that kill any HIV viruses that are produced by the infected cells before they can infect new cells.

HIV virus is killed by a number of drugs that affect different targets in the HIV virus and different parts of its life cycle. Treating w/ one drug though is infective because the HIV virus easily mutates as part of its life cycle when not intergrated in your DNA (i.e. evolves) into a strain that is resistant to single drugs so people treat w/ a drug cocktail (several drugs that affect different targets) because it is unlikely for one single copy of the HIV DNA to be able to "obtain" all of the mutations to make it resistant to the combination of drugs before one of the drugs kills the progeny produced from the information encoded for in the DNA.

Presumably, Magic still has some cells that contain copies of the HIV DNA and therefore still has HIV. I have not seen where a study was done w/ Magic in particular (although it is possible he was one of the participants as they do not identify actual individuals), but I have seen studies where people have looked at long term survivors w/ HIV and have found that at least some cells still contain completely functional HIV DNA and therefore can make the HIV virus. By taking a drug cocktail (and he has probably gone through several and a rotating basis of drug cocktails) he is able to keep his actual HIV virus load down and therefore the number of cells w/ the HIV DNA down.

It should be noted that some strains of the HIV virus are not VERY lethal (most people live for an extended period of time), but I believe those strains are mostly found in Asia (Thailand prostitutes if I remember correctly). There is no reason that a virus has to kill its host to survive (e.g. the common cold). I don't believe Magic has such a strain though, but don't remember for sure (I'm not sure it was made public what strain he has), but if he does that fact that he is still alive is not a big deal at all.

[PeterMP]

There is so much ignorance in this thread is mind-numbing.

People can live with HIV for many years.... there have been instances of people living with it for 20-25 years. How does that happen? Leading a healthy, stress-free lifestyle.

Inevitably, though, your white blood cell count will drop below a certainly level (200) and at that level, you are diagnosed with AIDS and given the "cocktail".

I believe Magic is constantly on the cocktail.

http://www.aegis.org/news/ct/2001/CT010804.html

Based on this article, he takes three anti-HIV drugs a day (two are in one pill).
I'd even bet his drug combinations have changed over time.

[canethang 305]

It's amazing the advances medicines have made, my uncle was HIV positive and after about 5 years it turned into "full blown" AIDS. He had the best drugs money could buy back then and it lasted 5 years before HIV turned into AIDS. It was very painful for him toward the end, we had at hospice at his house and he was on so much morphine toward the end for the pain. He contracted pnuemonia and died shrtly thereafter.

I wasn't sure what my uncle took except AZT and some "cocktail" but after about 2 years of being HIV positive he was skinny as a rail, so whatever Magic's taking with his workouts and healthy diet seems to work wonders because I can't remember seeing someone with HIV be so plump.

Let's not forget Tommy "Machine Gun" Morrison. He tested positive for HIV many times and then all of a sudden he started testing negative. He had to take a blood test to fight in West Virginia in March and he came up negative then to.

[Leonard Washington]

HIV intergrates its DNA into the human DNA quickly upon entering your body. There is no known way to effectively remove it from the DNA once it has been intergrated. There is no way to selectively kill the cells that have a copy of the HIV DNA....

good answer! i was going to post something similar...are you a scientist or did you stay at a holiday inn express last night?

[PeterMP]

good answer! i was going to post something similar...are you a scientist or did you stay at a holiday inn express last night?

PhD in biochemistry

[mboyd784]

Magic never was HIV positive. He was not in on it though. Follow the money trail.

[Ken]

He is taking the best "cocktails" that money can buy. The average person cant afford such exocitic treatment as Magic.
Cocktails are a mixture of drugs that help reduce his T cell count.
Umm, no he isn't.

He actually never has taken meds.

The correlation from HIV to AIDS is non-existent.

The test to detect HIV is extremely dubious.

There are over 70 health conditions that could lead to HIV positive. There have been hundreds of cases of people testing positive, going to another doctor, and being negative.

Here is a great website that explains one of the biggest "conspiracies" known to man.

But I am sure they are lieing.

www.helpforhiv.com

[Rocky21]

Umm, no he isn't.

He actually never has taken meds.

The correlation from HIV to AIDS is non-existent.

The test to detect HIV is extremely dubious.

There are over 70 health conditions that could lead to HIV positive. There have been hundreds of cases of people testing positive, going to another doctor, and being negative.

Here is a great website that explains one of the biggest "conspiracies" known to man.

But I am sure they are lieing.

www.helpforhiv.com Are you wearing a tin foil hat?

Magic Johnson is taking drugs for HIV.

he takes AIDS drug cocktails — combinations of medications that have kept many people with the virus from developing full-blown AIDS — allowing him to focus on business, and not just the business of staying alive.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/aids/2001-11-06-aids-johnson.htm

The Center for Disease Control is pretty sure that HIV can lead to Aids.

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/basic/index.htm#hiv

I'm sure there are things that can lead to a false positive test result for HIV but that doesn't mean Magic isn't taking drugs for HIV and that HIV and Aids are not related. C'mon.

[TMK9973]

Umm, no he isn't.

He actually never has taken meds.

The correlation from HIV to AIDS is non-existent.

The test to detect HIV is extremely dubious.

There are over 70 health conditions that could lead to HIV positive. There have been hundreds of cases of people testing positive, going to another doctor, and being negative.

Here is a great website that explains one of the biggest "conspiracies" known to man.

But I am sure they are lieing.

www.helpforhiv.com (http://www.helpforhiv.com)

First -Think what you want. You can belive HIV doesn't cause Aids, but you can't just make a claim that Johnson never took meds or doesn't take meds. He says he takes meds, people see him take meds, he spends money on meds, he is public about taking the meds.

2nd - Here is a better web site

http://www.avert.org/evidence.htm

3rd - The women who argued that HIV doesn't cause AIDs, wrote the book about it, and was the spokesperson, and therfore took no precatuations with her HIV, lost her child to AID's.

She should have be tried.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Maggiore

[Ken]

To the two bashing me…

Regardless of Magic’s treatment, did you even click on the site and read?

These are all people who have been diagnosed “HIV Positive”.

I’m not saying it, they are.

And to the person pointing out the “CDC Says”, yeah, they also say that Mercury is not a toxic substance to your body.

Go figure.

[Leonard Washington]

PhD in biochemistry

:chestram:

[Hooper]

My theory is he kept having so much sex that he shot the virus out of his system.

[Predicto]

It is nice to see that the same conspiracy theory nuts that post in the 9/11 threads also buy the "HIV is a Myth" conspiracy. I find it comforting, somehow.

Magic's situation is not unique. He is taking his drugs, so his HIV is under control. Not cured, but controlled. My secretary has been HIV positive for over 15 years now. He needs to take his drugs every day, but it has not developed into AIDS.

The big problem is that the drugs are too expensive for people in the Third World, so they just die.

[PeterMP]

It is nice to see that the same conspiracy theory nuts that post in the 9/11 threads also buy the "HIV is a Myth" conspiracy. I find it comforting, somehow.

Magic's situation is not unique. He is taking his drugs, so his HIV is under control. Not cured, but controlled. My secretary has been HIV positive for over 15 years now. He needs to take his drugs every day, but it has not developed into AIDS.

The big problem is that the drugs are too expensive for people in the Third World, so they just die.

Well, if that is actually true it is not the big drug companies fault. It is legal to make drugs for AIDS that are patented IF they are going to be sold in the 3rd World. The drug companies don't consider India part of the the 3rd world (essentially any country that can build nuclear weapons should have money to pay for drugs, but most of Africa would be fine).

http://scientific.thomson.com/free/ipmatters/ipdc/8199223/

"Compulsory licences can be issued by Members of the WTO, to allow third parties to make a patented product, or use a patented process under licence, without the consent of the original patent holder. The major cause of the original deadlock was the concerns of WTO members with little or no pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities, who would face difficulties in making effective use of compulsory licensing."

So if you are trying to blame the big pharma, try again.

My understanding of AIDS is the third world is threefold:

1. There are issues of dilivery the drugs as many of the goverments are corrupt and the drugs are likely to be confiscated or stolen.

2. Armed conflicts make consistent delivery nearly impossible.

3. Many people don't understand the true nature of the problem and don't take the drugs regularly as they are suppossed to and that only gives the HIV to survive and if it has mutated then possibly become resistent to the drugs they were taking. The same thing is true for antibiotics, which is why you always suppossed to finish them, even if you feel better, but w/ HIV you have to take the drugs for the rest of your life.

[Predicto]

Well, if that is actually true it is not the big drug companies fault.


Don't get me wrong. I didn't say it was anyone's fault. People in the Third World would do much better if they had access to CAT scans and MRIs, but they don't have those either. Just too expensive.

[PeterMP]

Don't get me wrong. I didn't say it was anyone's fault. People in the Third World would do much better if they had access to CAT scans and MRIs, but they don't have those either. Just too expensive.

I agree.