Lets Get Loud Miami!

In January of 2015, The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) launched its Latino Outreach and Understanding Division (LOUD), an initiative to address the disproportionate rates of new HIV infections and other social and health disparities among Latinos in the United States. Despite being about 17% of the total U.S. population, Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 21% of all new HIV infections. In an effort to create healthier Latino communities nationwide, LOUD understands the urgency of initiating dialogue and action around these realities, not only within the realm of public health but, most importantly, within our actual families and communities. LOUD strives to fight the social and health disparities that remain a threat to Latinos by employing marketing initiatives that are not only culturally competent, but effective in encouraging behavioral change among Latino communities in the U.S. These efforts seek to connect with identified at-risk Latino sub-populations (e.g. youth, gay, women, and transgender individuals) through creative prevention marketing efforts that understand and authentically speak to the ethnic diversity among Latinos in the nation. Through targeted education and collaborative messaging efforts with corporations, celebrities, religious leaders and community stakeholders that share a similar vision, LOUD believes a healthier Latino community is within reach. In the United States, Latino communities are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS: ◦Latinos represent 16% of the total U.S. population; yet comprise 21% of all new HIV infections [1] ◦U.S. born Latinos account for 48% of those living with HIV in the U.S., followed by Latinos born in Mexico (20%) and those born in Puerto Rico (15%) [2] ◦Over a third of Latinos (36%) were tested for HIV late in their illness – that is, diagnosed with AIDS within one year of testing positive; by comparison, 31% of Blacks and 32% of whites were tested late. 2 ◦86% of Latinos living with HIV reside within 10 states; New York and California leading the list. 2 ◦Approximately 1 in 50 Latinos will be diagnosed with HIV within their lifetime [3] ◦Latinos are 3 times more likely to be infected with HIV than that of their white counterparts [4] ◦20% of all new HIV infections are among youth between ages 18-24