Asian Health Services Youth Program
Empower. Engage. Elevate.
Our bodies are temples, and many of us rarely get the chance to explore such sacred space. In many communities of color, conversations about sex have been considered taboo and many young people usually are misinformed about it by the media or under informed by their sex education classes at school. Wrap It Up is a booklet that summarizes a few sexual health topics by providing a comprehensive look into birth control, STIs, mental health, and identity.
Over the summer, AHSYP pitched a project to create an informational guide on sexual health to providers at Asian Health Services. It was one of four approved projects and they served as preceptor to Victoria Lee, one of the 2019 REACH interns at Asian Health Services. After working with Victoria to create and compile content and designs, AHSYP had Richmond-based graphic designer Mahn Saechao digitize the booklet over the course of two weeks. The project lasted four months— it was published and distributed to medical providers, health educators, and youth in the East Bay starting in October 2019, and has reached thousands in Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Francisco counties as of March 2020.
Among the most taboo topics of sexual and mental health are additional layers of unspoken curiosities regarding the topics of substance use, HIV/AIDS, and viral hepatitis. At AHSYP, we aim to demystify these topics and provide accurate health education for youth to live healthy lives.
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Over the span of two years, AHSYP interns have worked diligently, creatively, and collaboratively to create a comprehensive and interactive book on substance use, HIV/AIDS, and hepatitis, reflecting the work of our program GLOW.
Credits to the GLOW Booklet Team
Research (2021)
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Michelle Yiu
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Ainsley Torres
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Srihita Tripasuri
Content Compilation (2021)
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Nhi Tran
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Erica Pineda
Initial Design (2021)
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Alexa Tran
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Emma Chen
Review (2021)
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Kimsa Nguyen
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Isabella de la Torre
Final Edits & Design (2022)
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Amanda Le
Conversations tied to identity and sexual health is often difficult, and we want to acknowledge that holding space for them can go beyond the face to face talks.
For Women of Color, topics in the realm of sexual and reproductive health tend to be quietly brushed aside for individuals to face, but that is not reality. Many share experiences of navigating sexuality and gender, challenging the patriarchy, or opening space for motherhood. ​
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Our 2021-2022 MOVE Fellow Riss Myung worked with Women of Color from across the United States to bring an anthology that echos these experiences, both personal and communal.
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As awareness and exposure to HIV/AIDS information increases for young people, so does their interactions with the work tackling the epidemic – both online and in person. This booklet highlights recent projects conducted by Bay Area youth to expand HIV/AIDS awareness in communities of color, as well as introduce the different methods used to promote education around prevention, destigmatization, testing, harm reduction, and treatment for those ages 12-25 in Oakland, CA. This resource allows readers to gain insight on how younger populations lead against the HIV epidemic in their own respective communities. Significant identities highlighted in this booklet include: youth (12-25), communities of color, LGBTQ+, and people living with disabilities.
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The booklet was created and curated for the United States Conference on HIV/AIDS 2022 workshop of the same name, presented by Asian Health Services' Community Health Advocate, Danielle Miguel.
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Mental health and emotional wellbeing are often times stigmatized in communities of color. For Asian youth, this case is especially evident when navigating through family life, school, and social circles. With so much to experience and so little space to have open conversations about wellbeing, it became a priority for Asian Health Services Youth Program to find ways to provide care and resources to young people.
Asian Health Services and Public Health Institute's project, IWAY (Improving the Wellness of Asian Youth), addresses ways for Asian youth of various identities to navigate mental and emotional wellbeing through identity. UC Berkeley 2020-2021 MOVE Fellow, Andy Huynh and Youth Program Consultant, Dannieze Miguel, created and designed this booklet to help guide youth readers in practicing wellness through scenarios and exercises.
As mental health and emotional wellbeing's impact on people have become more evident with the COVID-19 pandemic, it has left many people with feelings of loneliness. The relationships between generations have been further strained as people of all ages have been limited in direct connection due to ongoing changes in safety measures.
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As people, building and sustaining connections are essential to keeping social health in the community well. YP Intern Ariel Fu-Chen created this guide to help youth connect with, volunteer for, and engage in the elderly communities around them, especially those in the Asian community where various languages are spoken.