Since his diagnosis in 1991, NBA player Magic Johnson has repeatedly said he contracted HIV through sexual transmission. But a viral social media post by a spreader of vaccine misinformation falsely claims that Johnson was exposed to the virus from a hepatitis B vaccine.
In 1991, NBA superstar Earvin “Magic” Johnson retired from the basketball league following his diagnosis earlier that year with the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, the virus that can lead to AIDS.
In his retirement press conference, Johnson announced he would become a public figure for those diagnosed with HIV, “because I want people, young people, to realize that they can practice safe sex.”
Less than a week later, Johnson wrote in Sports Illustrated that he “was infected by having unprotected sex with a woman who has the virus.”
In the over 30 years since his diagnosis, Johnson and his wife, Cookie, have repeatedly affirmed that he contracted HIV through sexual intercourse.
Yet an Instagram post on Jan. 12 falsely claimed that Johnson contracted HIV through a hepatitis B vaccine program allegedly conducted by the NBA in 1991. The post has received more than 21,000 views and 3,000 likes.
The 37-second video was posted by Judy Mikovits, a former chronic fatigue researcher who has claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic is a conspiracy. The video splices together highlights of her interview with Stew Peters, a conservative radio host who frequently spreads COVID-19 misinformation...
A TOP police officer has been reported to a policing watchdog for making “false and inflammatory statements” about Palestine marches. The Palestine Coalition, an umbrella group which organises dem...