&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Afternoon That Changed Everything&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://cms.goodbyehiv.com/Files/Pai/Celebrities%20with%20HIV%20%E2%80%93%2023%20%E2%80%93%20Magic%20Johnson%20The%20NBA%20Legend%20Who%20Changed%20the%20HIV%20Conversation%20in%20One%20Press%20Conference%20Goodbye%20HIV%2005.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Celebrities with HIV &amp;ndash; 23 &amp;ndash; Magic Johnson The NBA Legend Who Changed the HIV Conversation in One Press Conference Goodbye HIV 05.jpg (99 KB)&quot; width=&quot;550&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #808080;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Magic Johnson HIV announcement press conference, November 7, 1991&lt;br /&gt;Image source:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.welt.de/sport/article13701296/Magic-Johnsons-Outing-Das-Haerteste-war-meiner-Frau-HIV-zu-gestehen.html&quot;&gt;picture-alliance / dpa / EPA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On the afternoon of 7 November 1991, Earvin &quot;Magic&quot; Johnson walked into a press conference at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California, and made an announcement that would change the way millions of people understood HIV.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe src=&quot;//www.youtube.com/embed/VbdOQUARrEU&quot; width=&quot;550&quot; height=&quot;314&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;allowfullscreen&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #808080;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The historic 1991 press conference where basketball legend Magic Johnson announced his HIV diagnosis and retirement from the NBA.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Johnson&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Johnson&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt; told the world that he had tested positive for HIV and that he would retire from the Los Angeles Lakers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The NBA season had only just begun. Magic Johnson &amp;mdash; one of the greatest point guards in basketball history, a five-time NBA champion and three-time NBA Most Valuable Player &amp;mdash; was 32 years old and still one of the most famous athletes in the world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He had spent more than a decade as the face of the Los Angeles Lakers. He had won championships, broken records, and helped transform professional basketball into a global cultural phenomenon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;And now he was standing in front of the cameras with his wife, Cookie, telling the world that he was living with HIV.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The announcement was shocking.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;At a time when HIV was still surrounded by fear, misinformation and stigma, Johnson&#39;s diagnosis challenged assumptions about who could acquire the virus. He was a world-famous athlete who appeared fit and healthy, and his disclosure forced millions of people to confront the reality that HIV was not limited to the groups they had been taught to associate with the epidemic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Magic Johnson had become an HIV advocate almost overnight.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Born in Lansing, Built for Greatness&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Earvin Johnson Jr. was born on 14 August 1959 in Lansing, Michigan, the fourth of seven children in a hard-working family.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;His father, Earvin Sr., worked at a General Motors plant, while his mother, Christine, worked as a school custodian. From an early age, basketball became central to his life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He earned the nickname &quot;Magic&quot; at the age of 15 after a local sportswriter watched him record 46 points, 22 rebounds and 16 assists in a high-school game. The name stayed with him.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://cms.goodbyehiv.com/Files/Pai/Celebrities%20with%20HIV%20%E2%80%93%2023%20%E2%80%93%20Magic%20Johnson%20The%20NBA%20Legend%20Who%20Changed%20the%20HIV%20Conversation%20in%20One%20Press%20Conference%20Goodbye%20HIV%2004.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Celebrities with HIV &amp;ndash; 23 &amp;ndash; Magic Johnson The NBA Legend Who Changed the HIV Conversation in One Press Conference Goodbye HIV 04.jpg (196 KB)&quot; width=&quot;550&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #808080;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers, 1980s basketball action&lt;br /&gt;Image source:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://photostore.nba.com/art/photographs/magic+johnson&quot;&gt;Official NBA Photo Store&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;At Michigan State University, Johnson became one of the most celebrated college basketball players of his generation. In 1979, he led the Spartans to the NCAA championship, defeating Larry Bird&#39;s Indiana State team in a historic final.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe src=&quot;//www.youtube.com/embed/QumeifabmqY&quot; width=&quot;550&quot; height=&quot;314&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;allowfullscreen&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #808080;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;A compilation of Magic Johnson&#39;s greatest basketball highlights, showcasing his flashy no-look passes, signature handles, and dominant &quot;Showtime&quot; era plays with the Los Angeles Lakers&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The rivalry between Johnson and Bird would continue into the NBA and become one of the defining stories of American basketball.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In his rookie season, he delivered one of the most memorable performances in NBA Finals history. With starting centre Kareem Abdul-Jabbar injured, Johnson started at centre in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals. He scored 42 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and recorded seven assists as the Lakers won the championship.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He was named Finals MVP.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He was only 20 years old.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;What followed was an extraordinary career.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Johnson won five NBA championships, three regular-season MVP awards and three Finals MVP awards. He was selected to 12 All-Star teams and became one of the greatest passers the sport had ever seen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;His rivalry and friendship with Larry Bird became one of the defining stories of the NBA&#39;s rise in popularity during the 1980s, while Johnson&#39;s charismatic style helped make basketball a global sport.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 1981, Johnson signed a 25-year, $25 million contract with the Lakers, one of the most notable deals in professional sport at the time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;By 1991, he was one of the most recognisable athletes on the planet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Then everything changed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Routine Physical That Changed His Life&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the weeks before his announcement, Johnson underwent a routine physical examination ahead of the 1991&amp;ndash;92 NBA season.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Further testing confirmed that he was HIV-positive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He was 32 years old and was not experiencing symptoms at the time. He remained an elite professional athlete competing at the highest level of basketball.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The diagnosis came at a time when HIV was still widely misunderstood.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For many people, HIV was associated almost exclusively with gay men and people who injected drugs. The idea that a heterosexual professional athlete, particularly one as famous as Magic Johnson, could be living with HIV challenged those assumptions immediately.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On 7 November 1991, Johnson appeared before the press with Cookie Johnson beside him.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He announced that he was retiring from the Lakers because of his HIV diagnosis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He also made clear that he intended to use his visibility to educate people about HIV prevention and safer sex.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;His message was simple: HIV could affect anyone, and people needed to take prevention seriously.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Earthquake&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The impact was enormous.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Magic Johnson&#39;s diagnosis became one of the most significant HIV disclosures in popular culture and sport.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For millions of people, HIV had suddenly acquired a recognisable face.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Johnson&#39;s public disclosure challenged the idea that HIV was someone else&#39;s problem. His fame, athletic career and public image forced people who had previously considered themselves outside the epidemic to reconsider their assumptions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Research conducted after the announcement found measurable changes in HIV-related awareness and behaviour.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;One study examining adolescents investigated what researchers described as a &amp;lsquo;&lt;a href=&quot;https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8726887&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Magic Johnson effect&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;rsquo;, reporting changes in HIV-related attitudes and behaviours following his disclosure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Other research documented a &lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/07/nyregion/hiv-tests-up-60-since-the-disclosure-from-magic-johnson.html&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;substantial increase in demand for HIV counselling and testing services&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt; following the announcement, including a significant rise in testing demand at anonymous HIV testing sites in New York State.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The significance was not simply that a famous person had disclosed an HIV diagnosis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It was that someone with extraordinary public visibility had chosen to speak openly about HIV at a time when stigma remained widespread.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Johnson also became involved in HIV policy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;President George H.W. Bush appointed him to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-09-26-mn-863-story.html&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;National Commission on AIDS&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; in January 1992, just months after his announcement. Johnson served on the commission before &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/26/us/magic-johnson-quits-panel-on-aids.html&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;resigning in 1992&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, expressing frustration with the government&#39;s response to the epidemic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;His role had expanded far beyond basketball.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He had become one of the world&#39;s most recognisable HIV advocates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Coming Back&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://cms.goodbyehiv.com/Files/Pai/Celebrities%20with%20HIV%20%E2%80%93%2023%20%E2%80%93%20Magic%20Johnson%20The%20NBA%20Legend%20Who%20Changed%20the%20HIV%20Conversation%20in%20One%20Press%20Conference%20Goodbye%20HIV%2003.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Celebrities with HIV &amp;ndash; 23 &amp;ndash; Magic Johnson The NBA Legend Who Changed the HIV Conversation in One Press Conference Goodbye HIV 03.jpg (146 KB)&quot; width=&quot;550&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #808080;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Magic Johnson 1992 Dream Team Barcelona Olympics&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #808080;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Image source:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://photostore.nba.com/art/photographs/magic+johnson&quot;&gt;Official NBA Photo Store&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Magic Johnson did not disappear after his retirement announcement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He came back.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe src=&quot;//www.youtube.com/embed/xMMWLS8D4OU&quot; width=&quot;550&quot; height=&quot;314&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;allowfullscreen&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #808080;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;An emotional retrospective look from the documentary &quot;The Announcement&quot;, exploring the intense public shock, personal fears, and societal stigma that Magic Johnson faced after his HIV disclosure.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In February 1992, he returned to basketball for the NBA All-Star Game.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The reception was extraordinary. Johnson scored 25 points and recorded nine assists, earning the All-Star Game MVP award.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;His return was significant not only as a sporting event but also as a powerful public demonstration that an HIV diagnosis did not automatically mean the end of an active life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Later that year, Johnson represented the United States at the Barcelona Olympics as a member of the legendary Dream Team.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The team won the gold medal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Johnson also briefly returned to the Lakers as their head coach during the 1993&amp;ndash;94 season.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the 1995&amp;ndash;96 season, he returned to the NBA as a player, appearing in 32 regular-season games and four playoff games before retiring for the final time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2002, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;But his legacy was no longer limited to basketball.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Three Decades of Living with HIV&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;More than three decades after his announcement, Magic Johnson continues to live with HIV and speak publicly about the condition.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;His long-term life with HIV has become part of a broader story about the transformation of HIV treatment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 1991, an HIV diagnosis carried a level of fear that is difficult to compare with the reality of HIV care today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Modern antiretroviral therapy has transformed HIV into a manageable chronic condition. People who take effective treatment and maintain an undetectable viral load can live long, healthy lives, and people with an undetectable viral load do not sexually transmit HIV.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Johnson has often spoken about the importance of access to treatment and healthcare.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;His experience also highlights an important reality: access to effective treatment can profoundly change the course of a person&#39;s life, but access is not equal everywhere.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;His public visibility helped bring HIV into conversations about healthcare, prevention, stigma and inequality.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Magic Johnson Foundation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Johnson established the &lt;a href=&quot;https://magicjohnson.com/&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Magic Johnson Foundation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; in 1991.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The organisation has worked on HIV/AIDS education, prevention and support, particularly in communities affected by health and social inequalities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Through his foundation and public appearances, Johnson continued to use his platform to encourage HIV awareness and challenge stigma.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;His advocacy also helped broaden the public image of people living with HIV.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He was not defined by his diagnosis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He remained an athlete, businessman, philanthropist, husband, father and public figure while openly acknowledging that he was living with HIV.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;That visibility mattered.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Presidential Medal of Freedom&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On 4 January 2025, President Joe Biden awarded Magic Johnson the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nba.com/news/magic-johnson-presidential-medal-of-freedom&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Presidential Medal of Freedom&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, the highest civilian honour in the United States.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://cms.goodbyehiv.com/Files/Pai/Celebrities%20with%20HIV%20%E2%80%93%2023%20%E2%80%93%20Magic%20Johnson%20The%20NBA%20Legend%20Who%20Changed%20the%20HIV%20Conversation%20in%20One%20Press%20Conference%20Goodbye%20HIV%2002.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Celebrities with HIV &amp;ndash; 23 &amp;ndash; Magic Johnson The NBA Legend Who Changed the HIV Conversation in One Press Conference Goodbye HIV 02.jpg (104 KB)&quot; width=&quot;550&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #808080;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Magic Johnson Presidential Medal of Freedom Joe Biden 2025&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #808080;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Image source:&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://wwd.com/pop-culture/culture-news/gallery/presidential-medal-of-freedom-2025-photos-1236789059/president-biden-delivers-remarks-at-medal-of-freedom-ceremony-3/&quot;&gt;WWD / Penske Media via Getty Images&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The honour recognised a legacy spanning basketball, business, philanthropy and his groundbreaking public advocacy around HIV/AIDS.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe src=&quot;//www.youtube.com/embed/x9kBcgVq4Mw&quot; width=&quot;550&quot; height=&quot;314&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;allowfullscreen&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #808080;&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;President Joe Biden awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to NBA legend Magic Johnson at the White House, honoring his historic contributions to sports, business, and HIV/AIDS advocacy.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;More than three decades earlier, Johnson had stood before the world&#39;s media and disclosed something deeply personal at the height of his fame.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2025, he stood on another stage receiving one of America&#39;s highest honours.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The journey between those two moments tells a remarkable story about how far both his own life and HIV treatment have come.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;They Call Me Magic&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Johnson&#39;s life and career were later revisited in the documentary series &lt;a href=&quot;https://tv.apple.com/th/show/they-call-me-magic/umc.cmc.67518fzfnhcjcajidzbpff8i5&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;They Call Me Magic&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The series introduced his story to a new generation, including people who were not yet born when he announced his HIV diagnosis in 1991.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For younger audiences, his story offers an important historical perspective.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The HIV epidemic of the early 1990s was shaped by fear, stigma and limited treatment options. Today&#39;s HIV landscape is profoundly different.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;That difference is part of why Johnson&#39;s story remains relevant.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What Magic Johnson Changed&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Magic Johnson did not set out to become an HIV advocate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;His diagnosis forced him into a public role that he could easily have avoided. Instead, he chose to speak openly.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He used his fame to challenge misinformation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He encouraged HIV prevention and testing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He participated in public health discussions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He helped make HIV visible to people who had previously believed it could never affect them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;And he continued living his life in the public eye.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;His story also reminds us that HIV has never been confined to one race, sexuality, gender, profession or social group.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Anyone can acquire HIV.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;But that is only one part of the message.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The other is that HIV today is very different from HIV in 1991.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;With effective antiretroviral therapy, people living with HIV can live long and fulfilling lives. When effective treatment reduces HIV to an undetectable viral load, and it remains undetectable, HIV is not sexually transmitted &amp;mdash; a principle known as &lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/global-hiv-tb/php/our-approach/undetectable-untransmittable.html&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Undetectable = Untransmittable&#39;, or &#39;U=U&#39;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Magic Johnson&#39;s story therefore belongs to both the history of HIV and the future of HIV awareness.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On 7 November 1991, he changed the conversation simply by telling the truth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;More than three decades later, that conversation is still continuing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;And his legacy remains a powerful reminder that an HIV diagnosis does not have to define a person&#39;s future.&lt;/p&gt;

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