Charlie Sheen's HIV Disclosure Inspired Record Numbers of Americans to Get Tested stat : Newsweek

Related: New study shows Charlie Sheen's recent disclosure may have helped raise HIV awarenessAt the time of his announcement, "Charlie Sheen himself didn't talk about HIV prevention. "Imagine, if you will, had HIV leaders, had the media fostered HIV prevention methods, how much larger those effects could have been," he adds. "I think Charlie Sheen is right up there with Betty Ford about her addiction," he says. Since web search trends are available much faster, it could help public health experts and advocacy organizations respond more effectively to opportunities like Sheen's disclosure. But "for 20 years, there's been a consistent message when it comes to HIV prevention, that is know the signs, get tested, always use condoms," he says.




Turns out the news of his HIV status itself was enough to increase HIV awareness among Americans. After conducting the research, analysts found out that the week after Sheen announced his HIV status, there was a 95% spike in OraQuick HIV test sales. The study also revealed there was a surge in online searches about HIV prevention measures, reported ABC News. A study conducted by San Diego State University (SDSU) researchers last year showed how him revealing his HIV status urged millions of people to undergo HIV tests. Read: Charlie Sheen HIV Diagnosis: A Look At The Star's Road To Recovery One Year LaterAccording to the study, popularly known as the "Charlie Sheen Effect" the sales of at-home testing nearly doubled days after his announcement, the report said.

Charlie Sheen's HIV Revelation Helped With Awareness

But one epidemiologist notes that Sheen's disclosure may have had a hugely positive effect on HIV awareness. Charlie Sheen's public announcement of being HIV positive appears to have left a life-saving behavioral mark https://t.co/QImipeSnSq — Science of Us (@thescienceofus) May 18, 2017Ayers hypothesized that Sheen's disclosure might actually have had a positive effect on HIV awareness, encouraging people to get tested themselves. The second graph compares the effect of Sheen's disclosure on OraQuick sales with the effect of World AIDS Day. First, those who do not know they are HIV positive do not seek treatment—and anti-retroviral therapy has been shown to dramatically increase the life expectancy of HIV patients. For more information about STD and HIV testing, check out the CDC's guide here.


collected by :Lucy William
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