Media and Magic: the effects of Magic Johnson's HIV diagnosis on HIV antibody testing rates.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1992. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Media and Magic: the effects of Magic Johnson's HIV diagnosis on HIV antibody testing rates.

Int Conf AIDS. 1992 Jul 19-24;8(1):Mo17 (abstract no. MoC 0060). Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA8/92400018
Mills S; Fischer-Ponce L; San Francisco Dept of Public Health, AIDS Office, CA.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of sports celebrity Magic Johnson's HIV diagnosis on HIV antibody testing rates in San Francisco. METHODOLOGY: We calculated the expected HIV testing rates following the announcement and media coverage of Magic Johnson's HIV diagnosis based on the observed three month trends prior to the announcement. These expected rates were then compared to the observed rates following the announcement and concluding at year end 1991. RESULTS: HIV testing rates increased by approximately 20% following Magic Johnson's HIV diagnosis--an effect which lasted about seven weeks and is potentially responsible for an estimated 620 additional individuals receiving HIV counseling and antibody testing in San Francisco. This effect may have been longer, but appeared to be dampened by the holiday season, a typically low HIV testing period. Rate changes were highest among Latina women (56% increase), African American women (52%), Caucasian women (39%), Asian men (27%), and African American men (23%). Usage by Caucasian males, the largest HIV testing client group, did not significantly increase. First-time HIV testers increased by 32%, whereas usage by individuals previously tested did not significantly increase. The HIV seroprevalence of testing clients decreased from 5.7% to 4.0% (p less than .001). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides compelling evidence that Magic Johnson's HIV diagnosis had the profound behavioral effect of motivating individuals to be HIV tested. This effect was most pronounced among women--specifically women of color-, suggesting that his diagnosis may have affected female sexual partners of heterosexual men most strongly. While the decline in HIV seroprevalence suggests that a lower-risk population sought testing, the future preventive effects of this intervention are significant. Finally, this study demonstrates the substantial, yet under-utilized, influence the media and celebrities can exert in HIV prevention.

Keywords: AIDS Serodiagnosis/PSYCHOLOGY/*UTILIZATION Basketball/*HISTORY Ethnic Groups *Famous Persons Female History of Medicine, 20th Cent. Human HIV Antibodies/BLOOD HIV Infections/*HISTORY HIV Seropositivity/DIAGNOSIS/EPIDEMIOLOGY Male *Mass Media *Patient Acceptance of Health Care San Francisco/EPIDEMIOLOGY Sex Factors Time Factors United States ABSTRACT
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M92C5329

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