JOHNSONS,EARVIN,MAGIC HIV SEROSTATUS DISCLOSURE - EFFECTS ON MENS PERCEPTIONS OF AIDS

The effects of celebrity self-disclosure of human immunodeficiency vir us (HIV) seropositivity on perceptions of HIV and Acquired Immunodefic iency Syndrome (AIDS) were investigated. AIDS-related interest and kno wledge measures were collected from 468 men before and after basketbal l star Earvin ''Magic'' Johnson's self-disclosure of HIV seropositivit y. Increased interest in AIDS paralleled media coverage of the announc ement, with the most substantial effects occurring within 2 weeks. Per ceived impact of the disclosure was greatest among African-American me n and men who had not previously known someone with HIV-AIDS. Celebrit y self-disclosure appears to affect perceptions through mechanisms sim ilar to those involved in personally knowing someone infected with HIV .