Our mission is to educate, support, empower and advocate for Asian and Pacific Islander (A&PI) communities—particularly A&PIs living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS. |
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It's our 25th anniversary! Throughout the year, we hope that you will join us in honoring our history. We'll be sharing stories from our staff and clients, holding special events and much more. Keep an eye out for our emails or follow us on Facebook and Twitter for announcements! |
IN OUR FEBRUARY ISSUE:
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In addition to opening the Wellness Clinic on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays each month, we've also added new services: NEW MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING: The Wellness Clinic now offers mental health counseling services for new and current patients that qualify. We also offer referrals for patients who do not qualify through our assessment process. Call 415.292.3400 to find out more! FLU SHOTS NOW AVAILABLE: Flu shots will be offered to new and established Wellness Clinic patients. Those seeking this season's vaccine should schedule an appointment for a nurse visit. One of our nurses will administer the shot and go over vital information about the flu with the patient. The Wellness Clinic continues to offer its current menu of services, with specialization in providing care for A&PIs, LGBTs, and the under- and uninsured. If you or someone you know needs to see a provider, please call 415.292.3400 to schedule an appointment. |
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HIV CARE CLIENTS CELEBRATE THE LUNAR NEW YEAR Clients from the Living Well Network and their guests were treated to a special Joy Luck Club meeting in January celebrating the Chinese and Lunar New Years. As part of this Year of the Dragon celebration, clients learned about treatment adherence and partner protection with Dr. Lisa Sterman, MD of ViiV Healthcare. Clients were also treated to a feast of dumplings and Chinese food from Gourmet Carousel, graciously donated by ViiV Healthcare. During the social hour, three door prizes were raffled off, and clients each received a lucky red envelope with a gift card to kick-off a prosperous new year! |
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tm4m KICKS OFF FEBRUARY WITH SPEED DATING On February 2nd, tm4m kicked off its year with a huge Speed Dating event, for all transmasculine and male-identified folks. It was a fabulous event with over 20 participants. The guys socialized and ate before the speed dating began, with multiple 4 minute rounds of speed dates with each and every guy. The event was emceed by Karlyn Lotney (aka Fairy Butch), a local legend in the transmasculine community. The guys found dates, friends, and overall had a lot of fun. One participant wrote on the event's Facebook wall, "Guess who has a date for Valentine's Day? Thanks to everyone who made this happen! I guess sometimes fairy tales DO come true!" tm4m (Transmen for Men) is a program for transmen who have sex with men (and the men who have sex with us) focused on building community and creating resources for information sharing and education. tm4m was established in mid-2009 and in 2011 it became the first ever program funded that focuses on TMSM (transmen who have sex with men). tm4m is a leader in the TMSM and MSM community by bridging the gap between cis men and trans men, who are often ignored or unrepresented. This year, tm4m will continue to lead by creating a safe space for all guys, regardless of sex assigned at birth. Monthly events are on the 2nd (Cruising) and 4th (rotating events) Thursday of the month from 7-9PM, as well as the 3rd (yoga) Thursday of the month 6-7:30PM at Eros, The Center for Safe Sex. tm4m is a collaborative effort between Eros, T-Wood Pictures and TRANS:THRIVE. |
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Denmark Diaz is a former intern at A&PI Wellness Center. Denmark serves on the San Francisco HIV Prevention Planning Council and currently works at A&PI Wellness Center's partner Asian American Recovery Services. Ben Cabangun, Health Education Program Manager recently interviewed Denmark for our e-news. Why did you want to intern for A&PI Wellness Center? I decided to intern for A&PI Wellness Center for many reasons, but initially, it was because I wanted to serve our community. Back in 2007, I had my first HIV test through the agency at the community college I was then attending. I barely knew anything about HIV, let alone an organization specifically serving the A&PI community. As an immigrant, I find it difficult to access and navigate the health care system. After that HIV test, I wasn't only relieved to know my status, but I was also happy to know that an organization for our community exists. I was curious about the agency, so I did some research online and was impressed with the mission, services, and linguistic capacity. I really liked the idea of having providers who understand your culture and could communicate in your preferred language. That, for me, was a great discovery which made me realize how language barriers make many people in our community either afraid or reluctant to seek care. That got me asking more questions: Where does social inequality stem from? Why are certain groups of people more impacted by a particular disease? What can I do about it? I transferred to San Francisco State University as a Health Education major in 2009 to gain a deeper understanding of health disparities and social inequality. Learning about environmental and sociocultural factors as major determinants of health really stood out to me. So many things about my own experiences suddenly made sense, and I knew that I had to do something, but I didn't know how. While I felt very strongly about many different causes, I felt disconnected to them. I longed for a cause that was close to my experiences. I then found out about the Men's Program at the A&PI Wellness Center in 2009 and thought it was the perfect opportunity to finally get involved. I learned that within the A&PI queer community our susceptibility to HIV is not only due to our behaviors, but is also due to things that are rooted in our culture. What was your internship and volunteer experience like? How did it help you get where you are today? I took on the internship position at A&PI Wellness partly because my BA program at SFSU required it in order for me to successfully graduate. I didn't expect that my internship would offer so much more beyond the actual skills the actual health education skills needed to work with my fellow A&PI queer men. Although challenging, my internship and involvement with the Youth Program was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life because it gave me not only the personal connection I was longing for, but a deeper sense of purpose. It had given me the chance to learn and grow together with my peers. It gave me an alternative lens to view and redefine our world. It gave me a safe space to examine things about myself that I had never thought about, such as what it means to be gay, to be Asian, to be a queer Asian man, to be a queer immigrant living in the United States. It allowed me to define what leadership means to me, and provided me an opportunity to bolster that trait and reflect on how and where I can take that leadership to bring about change. It helped me clarify my values and ignited my spirit to continually learn. I am currently 23 years old. I know that there is so much more that I have yet to learn. Yet, I am grateful for my involvement with A&PI Wellness Center because even though I still have lingering questions about myself and the world, the internship experience led me to an ongoing process of self-definition. The lessons I learned are very close to my heart, and I earnestly hope to bring the same kind of liberating experience to people that I now currently work with. Do you have advice for other volunteers and interns? Ask yourself what you want to learn beyond what your internship offers. Ask yourself how you can grow from it. I think there is no perfect internship or volunteer experience. I believe that although these experiences can teach you so much, it is what you make of it that turns involvement into a personally enriching endeavor. If you or someone you know would be interested in interning with our Health Services Programs, please contact Ben Cabangun at ben@apiwellness.org, or call 415.292.3420 x 314. |
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TELL US YOUR STORY! WE WILL LISTEN! "The shortest distance between a human being and Truth is a story." -- Anthony de Mello Do you have a personal story to tell about HIV, but you don't know how to tell it? Learn how by using the power of digital storytelling. The Banyan Tree Project is sponsoring a free Digital Storytelling Workshop! In this free, three-day workshop you will create a video of your story using images and music. Get a $75 gift card for participating! Download the application packet to read the participant requirements for this training. Please note that this training is in Berkeley, CA and is open to San Francisco Bay Area residents only. |
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Sign up for A&PI Wellness Center's upcoming webinars!
We are also excited to announce that Sapna Mysoor, Banyan Tree Project Program Manager will be co-hosting a training on Cultural Competence: Strengthening the Clinicians Role in Delivering Quality HIV Care within Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Transgender Communities. This training is offered through the AIDS Education and Training Center/National Multicultural Center. This training is Continuing Education Unit (CEU) qualified. The training is on Thursday, February 23 at 12PM Pacific Time. Sign up by clicking here. |
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Bloom is approaching quickly and we couldn't be more excited! Mark your calendar for Thursday, May 17th, 2012 to celebrate with us at the Galleria at San Francisco Design Center with us. To learn more about Bloom or just enjoy a good happy hour special with the community, join us at our first Pollinate of the year! Lookout will host us and a throng of great LGBT affinity groups on Thursday, March 1st from 6 to 8pm. Come enjoy a delicious cocktail and meet some new people. POLLINATE |
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Attention All Guys: GET DOWN(E) & GET AWAY WITH US! The Get Down(e) Getaway is a FREE weekend retreat for Asian & Pacific Islander guys who are into other guys. As A&PI men, we have unique challenges when it comes to romance, family, sex, and life in general. This weekend getaway is a fun and supportive space for you to explore these experiences while hanging out with like-minded guys who are also gay, bi, downe,or just into other guys. We have a fabulous mansion, food, and transportation--now all we need is for you to come and join the festivities! Network and make new friends while lounging in our luxurious vacation home. Interact through exciting workshops about dating, sex, identity, partying, health, and more. Explore the beautiful scenic landscape, check out the home gym, or just kick back and relax by the pool and jacuzzi. It's an all-expense paid mini-vacation--so get down(e) and get away with us! Our next retreat is: Upcoming retreats: |
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WE'RE LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY ADVOCATE FOR [un]Spoken Shorts! Do you or someone you know want to participate in our new HIV prevention campaign, [un]Spoken Shorts? We're looking for guys to to join our Community Peer Advocates team. Members will hang out in clubs and bars frequented by A&PI gay, bi, downe and queer guys, socializing with them and sharing our [un]Spoken Shorts' role model stories. These stories highlight key risk reduction messages and encourage positive behavior change. This is a modestly paid internship through June 2012. For more information or to submit at resume and cover letter, email Clay Ngo at clay@apiwellness.org or call 415.292.3420 x 350. |
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WELLNESS CLINIC EXPANDS SERVICES
PROFILE: DENMARK DIAZ
The CSTEP: Treatment Up-to-Date Training provides updated information on the latest advances in HIV treatment. Topics will include an HIV treatment review, an overview of newly approved treatments, a look at the pipeline of HIV Medications, and new federal guidelines for treatment
HELP US TO POLLINATE BLOOM!
