2001

World AIDS Day 2001 -- December 1 -- is fast approaching, and our action is more important now than ever. 36.1 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS. Over 850,000 people in the United States are HIV+. The statistics among young people are particularly troubling.

In 1988, Visual AIDS launched Day With(out) Art as a World AIDS Day initiative to mourn those we have lost and to promote a broader awareness of the crisis. This year, Visual AIDS is partnering with the House of Frame By Frame Fierce on a new and important project.

Frame By Frame Fierce was developed through a workshop process with a diverse group of 16-21 year-olds -- including gay, bisexual, transgendered, HIV infected and affected, African-American, white and Latino youth. The young people explored issues around HIV/AIDS focusing on the difficulties youth face in protecting themselves. They created artworks expressing their fears, ideas and experiences regarding safer sex. Finally, they conceived, developed and designed four animated HIV/AIDS awareness public-service announcements directed towards at-risk youth. These four pieces together make up the final video, titled Frame By Frame Fierce.

Youth At Risk 50% of new infections in the U.S. are among people under the age of 25. Each year, over 20,000 people under 25 become HIV+ in the U.S. At least one American under the age of 20 becomes infected with HIV every hour of every day. 58% of all adolescent AIDS cases in the U.S. are young women. 70% of new U.S. adolescent AIDS cases are African-American, and 24% Latino; yet, these groups are only 13% and 15% respectively of U.S. adolescents. A recent study reported that as many as one third of young gay black men are HIV+. Almost half of young gay men admit to having had unprotected sex in the previous six months.

Visual AIDS is distributing the Frame By Frame Fierce video to be shown on Day With(out) Art/World AIDS Day to:

• Promote HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention among young people, especially those most at risk of infection; and

• Inspire action through an increased public understanding of the AIDS epidemic and its devastating effect on young people.

We are asking project participants for a $75.00 donation. If you are a non-profit organization that works directly with youth at risk for HIV infection, please contact Visual AIDS about receiving the video at a lower cost.

Still images from Frame By Frame Fierce ©2001

See more images from Frame By Frame Fierce.