It ’s an inauspicious fact that diseases sometimes do n’t get the identification they deserve until celebrities are afflicted with them . Lance Armstrong , for lesson , made a huge impact on testicular cancer cognizance and fundraising take after his diagnosis , which continues today two 10 on .
And now it seems some good is being made out of a famous person ’s sad situation once again , as Charlie Sheen ’s public revealing of his HIV - prescribed status look to have had a huge effect on the populace . Not only did he apparently create fresh and merited attention for the virus , in doing so this increase interest may have ultimately help prevention scheme , at least in the U.S.
“ Celebrity disclosures are not novel to HIV , with Rock Hudson and Magic Johnson help as noteworthy instance . Yet , Sheen ’s revelation could be unlike , ” study author Eric Leas from UC San Diego suppose in astatement . “ The vane 2.0 geological era may enhance the encroachment of Sheen . ”
print in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine , researchers from San Diego State University wanted to see whether Sheen ’s announcement on November 17 , 2015 prompted engagement with HIV and related topics , thus perhaps make a boost for public health . Using a compounding of information from the Bloomberg Terminal and Google Trends , the team supervise Internet search and media reports around the fourth dimension of his disclosure , looking for term like “ HIV , ” “ condoms ” and “ HIV testing . ”
Despite there having been an overall downward vogue in media attention of HIV over the year , on the daytime that Sheen operate public there was a striking 265 percent increase in news reports observe the virus . On Google News alone , there were 6,500 pieces that referenced HIV that day , placing it among the top days in terms of HIV medium coverage over the preceding seven year .
Taking into report old cyberspace formula , they found that Sheen ’s revelation coincided with 2.75 million extra hunting that included the terminus “ HIV , ” or almost a 420 percent increase on what would be expected . Not only that , but there was a huge cost increase in the number of condom lookup , including people see for spot to buy them , alongside searches for HIV testing facilities and symptoms , which rose by a staggering 214 and 540 percent , respectively .
Since as many as 1 in 8 infect people in the U.S. , and1 in 6 in the U.K. , do n’t make out that they have HIV , this renewed attention could have had an encroachment on HIV bar if it ultimately boost good sex activity practices and examination , but unfortunately this subject field ca n’t crystallise us on that . And as the depth psychology was only conducted for a three - workweek period , we do n’t bed if the plain effects are lasting or have already petered out .
But it ’s clear as watch crystal that celebrity tie does indeed yield regenerate interest in health issues . So what public wellness workers demand to do is jump on this and practice it to tug campaigns forward , rather than allowing the desperately needed tot up attention to peter out out to a pointedness where people do n’t think it ’s an issue they need to worry about any longer .
