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Dr. Kim Mulvihill ReportingToday marks the 15th anniversary of the day Magic Johnson announced he was HIV positive. There have been many advances in the fight against HIV, although for some, the new treatments came a little too late.
Magic Johnson: "Because of the HIV virus I have attained I will have to retire from the Lakers today"
That was 15 years ago. Many people worried Magic would die within a year. Instead, we've watched him and many others prosper because of the new drug cocktails and many other factors.
We know that people diagnosed before Magic had fewer options. The number of people infected per year in the United States hit its peak at 161,000 in 1986. Presently it's 40,000 per year.
More than one million Americans are now living with HIV or AIDS. The latest medicines are still part of the reason.
Magic is proof of another-- early diagnosis. For Magic and many others it can make the difference between life and death.
The CDC recently recommended all adults be tested for HIV as a part of routine medical care. They estimate that 250-thousand Americans are currently undiagnosed and unaware of their HIV infection.
