Celebrity narrative explaining medical terminology for lay audiences

Magic Johnson and HIV

Science knows that although HIV can transition into AIDS, it does not automatically become AIDS. Magic Johnson, new president of the Los Angeles Dodgers and a member of the NBA Hall of Fame, was diagnosed with HIV several years ago. One of the immediate responses from Magic Johnson's body (with HIV) was the weakening of his immune system, which made him -- and makes all HIV-positive patients -- susceptible to the following infections and cancers:

Tuberculosis: an infectious disease "caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis" (Medical News Today).

Salmonellosis Enterocolitis: a very common kind of food poisoning that causes severe dehydration (NCBI)

Cytomegalovirus (CMV): this is a virus infection from a "member of the herpesvirus family" (Medline Plus).

Candidiasis: an infection of the mouth and tongue (Mayo Clinic).

Cryptococcal meningitis: this is an inflammation of those membranes and the fluid that is found around the human brain and the spinal cord (Mayo Clinic).

Wasting syndrome: body weight is reduced by at least 10% and aggressive treatment must be applied to this syndrome (Mayo Clinic).

Kaposi's sarcoma: this is a cancer that develops often with HIV, when the "abnormal cells of KS form purple, red, or brown blotches or tumors on the skin" (cancer.org).

Neurological complications: this can cause "…cognitive/motor complex or AIDS dementia complex (ADC) (emedicine.medscape.com).

Micronutrients: many foods carry micronutrients -- they help repair and heal some of the body's cells -- but HIV patients are in need of these (aidsinfonet.org).

What doe these terms really mean in laymen's terms? Tuberculosis is a disease that hits the lungs in most instances; it causes night sweats, weight loss, and fever. Currently the disease Tuberculosis is found mainly in third world countries and among populations of HIV patients. The Salmonellosis Enterocolitis can be transmitted through food or water -- or from eating uncooked eggs -- and hits HIV patients because their immune systems are flawed and weakened. Salmonellosis Enterocolitis causes abdominal pain and it makes the HIV patient very ill with chills and fever and bad diarrhea.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV): many people have Cytomegalovirus (CMV) in their bodies but their healthy immune system (which HIV sufferers don't have) tends to keep the Cytomegalovirus (CMV) in a non-active, non-dangerous form. It can cause eye damage, problems with a person's digestive system or even the lungs. Candidiasis: The HIV patient can be horribly impacted by Candidiasis because it creates a thick mucous (usually white) coating on a person's mouth or tongue, or even on a woman's vagina. Cryptococcal meningitis: A person with HIV is more prone to Cryptococcal meningitis and may actually be infected with it from certain fungi in the soil or also in cat stools. It causes severe pain in the brain and spinal cord. Wasting syndrome: this disease has hit herds of deer and cattle, causing them to lose extraordinary amounts of weight; it also hits HIV victims and they simply can't gain weight no matter how much fat they consume; they lose weight constantly and become mere shells of what they once were.