Don Lemon interviewed Magic Johnson today in conjunction with CNN’s coverage of World AIDS Day. Transcript follows…

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: It was a moment that stunned America and changed the face of the AIDS crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EARVIN “MAGIC” JOHNSON, FORMER NBA PLAYER: Because of the HIV virus that I have attained, I will have to retire from the Lakers today. I just want to make clear, first of all, that I do not have the AIDS disease because I know a lot of you are — want to know that, but the HIV virus.

My wife is fine. She’s negative. So there’s no problem with her. I plan on going on, living for a long time, bugging you guys like I always have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, that was November 6th, 1991. Many thought Magic Johnson’s announcement that he was HIV positive meant death would soon follow. At the time, the drugs that kept HIV at bay in infected people had not yet been developed. At the time, most people didn’t know the difference between being HIV positive and having AIDS. At the time, Americans thought of AIDS as a gay disease, as a white disease.

But Earvin “Magic” Johnson helped change that and became an activist in the fight against HIV and AIDS. He joins us now from Los Angeles here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Thanks for joining us. Looking at that, every time you hear that — and I’m sure you’ve heard it a couple of times you’ve been on these trips, and you’ve been on shows like this, what goes through your head when you see and hear that?

JOHNSON: Well, I think what really goes through my mind is the fact that I want to thank God for me being here 15 years later and just, really, the medicine that has come down the pipeline, but also the fact that how this disease has really changed because it used to be a gay disease.

Now it’s actually a black and brown disease. And now we have to really go into the African-American and Latino community and do a better job of raising awareness level, also educating people about HIV and AIDS, and caring for those who have HIV and AIDS. So what a dramatic change from

15 years ago, and now over 50 percent of all the new cases are through African-Americans.

LEMON: Yes, we’re going to talk about what you’re doing, but let’s talk about that. There are people who say, you know what, this should have been done a long time ago. There were people in the AIDS community, people in the gay community, people saying, hey, AIDS in the black community is just running rampant and no one’s really talking about it.

Do you think that we should have done something earlier? It’s great that we’re doing something now, but do you think more people should have paid attention to this earlier and maybe these numbers might not be so staggering?

JOHNSON: Oh, no question about it. We should have paid attention to it earlier. It’s unfortunate that we have to now, since we’re behind the eight ball in a sense, really try to get out here and also get out here in a big way and to the African-American community.

But it is what it is, so we can’t look backwards now. We have to move forward, and what are we going to do about the problem? And I think all of us have got to work together — the faith-based community, the government, the public officials, the great HIV and the AIDS organizations across America — and all band together and come with a gameplan that’s going to bring those numbers down.

And I think that I stand — with MAGIC Campaign, that’s what we’re doing with a great company like Abbott. I partner with them through the Magic Johnson Foundation. And we have all this information on www.istandwithmagic. If you log onto that, you’re going to get a lot of good information about HIV and AIDS, because that’s what’s been missing as well, the fact that we haven’t had the right information about HIV and AIDS.

And then we can’t have the same attitude and or the mindset when it comes to HIV and AIDS as well.

LEMON: Yes, and I’m glad you mentioned the faith-based community and also leaders. Anticipating World AIDS Day coming up, I spoke with several black leaders — Maxine Waters recently, Reverend Joseph Lowery, also Harry Belafonte and then recently Jesse Jackson who said on Saturday he’s going to be asking all ministers in the country to take public HIV tests and encourage men to take those tests as well, which will lead to women taking them, but basically he believes that men are the basic carriers.

Let’s talk about testing, mandatory testing, because you were tested for something else. You weren’t getting an HIV test. You were getting tested for health insurance.

JOHNSON: Right, the insurance company tested me for HIV and AIDS. And thank God that they did, because I’m glad we caught it early where I could then get on some medicine and get on a treatment that has worked for me for 15 years. So I think that…

LEMON: So what about the importance of being tested, of getting tested?

JOHNSON: Oh, it’s very important. Oh, getting tested is the most important thing. That’s why we have three days of testing right now.

While I’m talking to you, there’s people being tested. We’ve already tested about 300 people early this morning and we’re going to be here through this evening, as well as Saturday and Sunday.

So testing is very, very important because people need to know their status. There’s a lot of people walking around who have HIV and don’t even know it. And so we must urge young people and all people to get out and get tested.

LEMON: Yes, in your announcement, you mentioned your wife in your announcement. And let’s just — let’s be real about this. Probably the people who are most at risk in the highest numbers now, African-American women. And many of them getting it from their partners, from their male partners, maybe on the down low or contracted it some other way. What is your advice when it comes to that?

JOHNSON: Well, when it comes to that, first of all, I would expect all men to be open to their partners about if they are living that double life, much what you just talked about. And then I urge all women because it’s the — especially African-American women, when you think of that it is the number one killer for those women ages 25 to 35. And those are young women.

So women are going to have to really take charge of making sure that their partners are wearing protection and that they also make sure that they educate themselves about HIV and AIDS. But it’s up to the women to really take charge now, and also men get out and get tested as well, but women really got to take charge.

LEMON: Well, let’s hope that people listen to your advice and follow your lead. And, I mean, I do have to commend you. I think this is something great that you’re doing. Let’s put up your Web site so people will know. It’s called istandwithmagic.com.

If you want information on what Magic Johnson is doing, and I would imagine, what other people are doing in the community to stop or at least try to halt in some way the spread of the HIV and AIDS in the African-American community, you can go to this Web site, istandwithmagic.com.

How are you doing today? How is your health?

JOHNSON: My health is wonderful. I work out five days a week. Like I said, the medicine is working. I’m doing my part. God has blessed me to do his part. And all I want to do is bring those numbers down, much what you — we’ve about talking about and also encourage others to get into the HIV and AIDS fight with us, because that’s more important as well.

So the more people we can get, the more public officials that we can get, the more corporations that we can get, corporations like Abbott, who is doing a wonderful job working with my foundation, that — it’s going to bring those numbers down.

LEMON: That’s what I want to talk to you about, just real quickly, because we’re running out of time. But I want to talk to you about that. The drugs, antiretrovirals and AIDS drugs are not cheap. And getting them — I mean, some people get sick because they can’t afford to have those treatments. I think it’s like $1,500 a month and upwards for people who may be HIV positive to get drugs.

JOHNSON: Yes. Well, I think that you’re right. But I think that — that’s why we have to increase the ADAP program, make sure that the Ryan White Act, as well as the funding there increases. So the next person that we put into public office, especially in our president’s office, we have to make sure that we hold them accountable for making sure that they increase the budget.

As well as everybody who needs drugs should still go to HIV and AIDS clinics or organizations because a lot of times they may get money from the county or the city to provide those who don’t have the money to buy their drugs — they can provide them for them.

So sometimes we think that they can’t afford them or get them, where if they go to those clinics, they’ll be amazed at some of those organizations will take care of them.

LEMON: Magic Johnson and, again, it’s istandwithmagic.com. Go there for more information. We thank you for joining us on World AIDS day and we continue to hope that you keep making a difference and that your health is fine. Thank you, sir.

JOHNSON: I appreciate that.