So what, it has been 16 years Magic Johnson having HIV, when he's going to die?

Yep, so he is rich, but the question is, how long a person who has no problem in paying the best care could live with this decease?

2. If you're a basketball player, truthfully, would you be scare playing with him in a serious tournament?


10 pts. for good or detailed answer.

Well, he is on very good drugs. These are medications that work okay on their own, but when combined they become very potent anti-viral cocktail. He could live well into old age, provided the drugs to not decrease his liver function. He might even get a new liver and carry on just fine if that were to happen. There's a very good chance he will live a normal life and die of old age not an HIV related illness like pneumonia or liver disease. I would not be afraid of playing with him in a tournament.

cattle

Umm..lot's of people live really long with HIV--it's when you have AIDs when your life becomes a bigger factor....

Wealth may not make much of a difference. Things can go downhill at any time....then again, he could do great for the next 16 years.

it depends on how long his immune system will last.

2. yeah i would. come on he's at least a foot taller than me!

Not everyone who is infected with HIV develops full-blown AIDS. And no, I wouldn't be scared of playing basketball with him since the possibility of blood-to-blood contact would be incredibly remote.

HIV or AIDS is not going to be the death of him. It will be from an infection any infection that his body will not be able to fight off because of his compromised immune system.

I heard that he is doing so well his cell count is just about normal now. There are drugs that make your count go back up and since he is rich, he can afford the best. Someone told me he is practically cured now, but i dont know if i believe that.

Yes, i'd be afraid to play with him seriuosly. I know its terrible, but i'd be afraid we'd collide and end up getting blood on me, which isnt rare in b-ball. I'd probably not play very hard :-/

Usually when a person is HIV positive and tend to take really good care of themselves, the virus then becomes dormant in the body. This means that the virus is basically inactive because of the medication the person is taking and they are not dwelling on the fact that they are living with this disease everyday. Magic Johnson is obviously taking very good care of himself because the virus is not active and he has yet to pass it on to his wife. Good for him. HIV and AIDS are the worst diseases to live with. So anyone who has this disease and can live a long life with it...more power to them.

HIV does not always lead to AIDS, Magic is proof of that. His immune system is obviously holding up, and one does not need to be rich to keep his immune system strong.

I don't think his disease has progressed to full blown aids yet, so he could live a long time possibly. Maybe as an athlete he has a healthy immune system? If that were to be compromised, then the disease could progress.
Also, there's not too much sexual contact during a basketball game, so the odds on me getting infected with the virus (if I was a basketball player) would be pretty slim. Though if he was dripping blood as he jumped over my head to do a slam dunk, then I might be concerned.
Oh, did you hear that David Copperfield has HIV? He was doin' Magic! (sick humor)