February 7th is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day!
In Los Angeles County, nearly 1 in 4 people who are newly diagnosed with HIV are Black, despite only making up 8 percent of the population in Los Angeles County. National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day sends an important message about the need to continue to grow HIV education in all our communities.
APLA Health is helping these young men of color with Healthy Him and Unique Bruthas United (UBU). These programs are designed to strengthen decision-making abilities and help members live a better life:
- Healthy Him takes a holistic approach: APLA Health staff work to reduce stigma and layer HIV prevention into all aspects of your life through discussion groups, community outings, and more.
- UBU is a part of the African American Gay Men’s Health Initiative (AAGMHI) where we also address the whole person and use client centered strategies to address barriers they may have to accessing HIV/STD testing, PrEP/PEP and prevention services. We focus on Black identified men 18 and older and keep them engaged through a weekly drop-in group that offers social support and information on various topics.
Community programming is just one way that your AIDS Walk Los Angeles dollars are helping us provide and sustain vital yet often overlooked resources, and if you’re looking for ways to support all year round, help us spread the word on days like today: that access to HIV testing, community involvement, preventative tools such PrEP/PEP, and stigma-reducing messages like U=U will help us end the epidemic.
Learn more about the Healthy Him and the UBU today!