Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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United Press International; Wednesday, October 29, 1997 - 8:45 PM EST
The 20-year-old Bronx man, also known as NuShawn Williams, is accused of knowingly spreading the virus through unprotected sex.
According to the head of the federal government's AIDS and HIV Policy office, Eric Goosby, potential victims of the virus must get tested immediately and, if the results are positive, seek treatment.
He said, "We are making a plea to the community that if you have been exposed to the HIV virus that it is vitally important to you for the integrity and longevity of your immune system and your life to enter and engage yourself in a dialogue with a knowledgeable provider to receive options around anti-viral drugs and general care that can impact on your longevity."
Federal officials also pledged funds to supply HIV testing. More than 100 people were tested for the virus in Chautauqua County yesterday.
Johnson, currently in custody at the Bronx House of Detention, allegedly infected dozens of girls and women in western New York. Government health personnel fear those people may have passed the virus to others through secondary contact.
According to prosecutors, he hung around playgrounds and dance floors, hunting for teenagers willing to trade sex for drugs. He allegedly slept with them even though he knew he had contracted the disease.
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