title: Earvin "Magic" Johnson's HIV serostatus disclosure: effects on men's perceptions of AIDS.
abstract: The effects of celebrity self-disclosure of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositivity on perceptions of HIV and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) were investigated. AIDS-related interest and knowledge measures were collected from 468 men before and after basketball star Earvin "Magic" Johnson's self-disclosure of HIV seropositivity. Increased interest in AIDS paralleled media coverage of the announcement, with the most substantial effects occurring within 2 weeks. Perceived impact of the disclosure was greatest among African-American men and men who had not previously known someone with HIV-AIDS. Celebrity self-disclosure appears to affect perceptions through mechanisms similar to those involved in personally knowing someone infected with HIV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kalichman
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Sarwer
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D001490:Basketball; D005197:Famous Persons; D005783:Gender Identity; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011639:Public Opinion; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012725:Sexual Behavior