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U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
U.S. News
"Magic" Johnson Introduces PSAs for AIDS Awareness
June 13, 2008 At a movie theater in Los Angeles on Monday, former NBA great Earvin "Magic" Johnson introduced a pair of public service announcements aimed at encouraging African Americans to be tested for HIV. Johnson's 1991 revelation that he had tested positive for HIV sparked a big increase in HIV testing and awareness. But more recently, Johnson said, "We lost that momentum, and now we're not talking about HIV and AIDS like we used to." "I encourage leaders in the black community to take action, get talking and take a stand in their neighborhoods," said Spike Lee, the Oscar-nominated director of the PSAs. The first PSA, "Stand," is a call for community-wide testing, while the second, "Talk," encourages women to protect themselves and talk to their partners about safer sex. Both will be posted on YouTube.com and Abbott.com, the Web site of the Illinois-based drug maker. Back to other news for June 2008 Xinhua 06.09.2008 This article was provided by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is a part of the publication CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update. |