Making Sexual Health Accessible

Making Sexual Health Accessible

ASAAP is a registered charity that provides culturally responsive holistic health promotion and support services to people from SAMEIC (South Asian, Middle Eastern, Indo-Caribbean) and other related communities who are newcomers, LGBTQ+ and/ or living with, at risk of, or affected by HIV and related health conditions. Our services are offered in a range of South Asian and Middle Eastern languages: English, French, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Nepali, Hindi, Urdu, Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish.

ASAAP was born out of community activism in 1989, when a South Asian couple died unable to access HIV-related services in their own language and cultural context.

Initially run by volunteers working out of a makeshift workspace in a garage, the former “South Asian AIDS Coalition” became the “Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention” in 1995 after being incorporated as an independent HIV-related Service Organization.

Today, the need for multi-lingual HIV/AIDS-related services is just as important as it was over 33 years ago; the necessity of situating HIV within a culturally appropriate framework is vital for prevention education and support services to have a meaningful impact.

OUR SERVICES

HEALTH EDUCATION SERVICES: SEXUAL HEALTH INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

Our sexual health education services are culturally informed and focus on providing information related to sexual health such as STI and HIV testing, prevention, and management. We do this through in-person and online outreach, workshops, offering social and support spaces, and safer sex supplies such as condoms, dental dams, and lube.

SERVICES FOR NEWCOMERS TO CANADA

ASAAP provides services to newcomers from South Asia and the Middle East who are living in the GTA and identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer (LGBTQ+), and/or living with HIV.

We do this by offering oneon-one support, workshops, and referrals to assist individuals in their new life in Canada.

SUPPORT SERVICES: FOR THOSE LIVING WITH, AT RISK OF, OR AFFECTED BY HIV/AIDS

ASAAP recognizes that access to HIV information and services is framed by cultural context. Through a number of “support services,” we offer direct care navigation, referrals, and connections to other healthcare and social services to people living with, at risk of, or affected by HIV/AIDS.

Within the SAMEIC (South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Indo-Caribbean) families and communities, HIV/AIDS continues to remain highly stigmatized and therefore, we take our clients’ right to privacy very seriously. Your information will remain confidential.

CAPACITY BUILDING SERVICES: TO DEVELOP COMPETENCY IN WORKING WITH RACIALIZED QUEER INDIVIDUALS AND PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV

Using our experience working with SAMEIC (South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Indo- Caribbean), LGBTQ+ and people living with HIV, we offer a range of training and capacity building services for other Community Health Centres, healthcare providers, AIDS Service Organizations, health hubs, and social and support service workers to ensure continued affirmative care.

As part of our Response to Emergencies, we provide the “Response to the COVID-19 pandemic” and “Safe Program” services.

OUR CONTACT WEBSITE: www.asaap.ca EMAIL: info@asaap.ca TEL: +1 (416) 599 2727 Ext: 221 ADDRESS: 120 Carlton St, Suite 212, Toronto, ON, M5A 4K3