HIV+AIDS+athletes+and+AIDS

=Athletes Infected With AIDS =

http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/blog/Magic%2520Johnson.jpeg  Prominent athletes with the AIDS virus: ARTHUR ASHE -- Champion tennis star. Died Feb. 6, 1993, at age 49. GLENN BURKE -- Former major league baseball player with Oakland A's and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1976-79. Appeared in 1977 World Series with Dodgers.Died May 30, 1995, at age 43. JOHN CURRY -- A figure skater who won the gold medal at the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck, [|Austria], and the world championship title the same year. Died April 15, 1994, at age 46. ESTEBAN DeJESUS -- Former WBC lightweight champion. Died May 11, 1989, at age 37. BILL GOLDSWORTHY -- Former NHL player who scored 283 goals in 14 seasons with Boston, Minnesota and New York Rangers.Died March 29th, 1996, at age 52. MAGIC JOHNSON -- Announced Nov. 7, 1991, he was retiring at age 32 from the Los Angeles Lakers after disclosing he was infected with the HIV virus. He subsequently played on the Dream Team at the 1992 Olympics. CHAD KINCH -- Played basketball in the Final Four for North Carolina-Charlotte in 1977 and in 1980 was a No. 1 draft pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Died April 3, 1994, at age 35. GREG LOUGANIS -- Disclosed in February 1995 he has AIDS and was infected with the AIDS virus when he won two gold medals for diving at the 1988 Olympics. Also won two gold medals in 1984. TIM RICHMOND -- One of stock-car racing's most promising drivers. Died Aug. 16, 1989, at age 34. JERRY SMITH -- All-Pro tight end for the Washington Redskins football team in 1965-1977. Died Oct. 15, 1986, at age 43. He was the first professional athlete known to have died from the disease. THOMAS WADDELL -- Member of U.S. decathlon team in 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Died July 11, 1987, at age 49. ALAN WIGGINS -- Second baseman who played in the majors from 1981-87, mostly with the San Diego Padres. Died January 1991 at age 32.

If you read the list above clearly, you would notice that Magic Johnson and Greg Louganis are the only ones that are still alive. Why is this? What treatment did they get that allows them to live? The year that Magic Johnson retired, 1991, he founded the Magic Johnson Foundation (MJF), which helps communities deal with issues surrounding HIV/AIDS and raises funds for research and prevention. Magic Johnson works with his personal physician to try to keep the virus under control with a combination of anitretroviral drugs. The combination therapy is called HAART or Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy. The "drug cocktail" Johnson takes combines the power of different drugs to block multiple targets in the HIV life cycle. Central to Magic's therapy regimen is a drug called Combivir®, a combination of two drugs: lamivudine and zidovudine, which are nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. HAART regimens can cost an average of $1000 dollars per month.

And now for a tribute to Magic Johnson... media type="youtube" key="podmEIguecA" height="344" width="425"

Home