Ali Raza Khan

Month: December 2024

  • A Guide for HIV Positive Refugees in Finland

    A Guide for HIV Positive Refugees in Finland

    Health Buddy Ali is standing outside in front of the Helsinki sign.

    In this year’s blog series, we present the writings of Hivpoint’s Health Buddies 2024 in which they reflect on their own journey in promoting sexual health. Health Buddies spread knowledge about sexual rights and sexual health including HIV and other STIs in migrant and refugee communities. Let us present to you our wonderful Health Buddy Ali Raza Khan.

    I am Ali Raza Khan, an HIV positive gay activist from Pakistan and a refugee in Finland. In Pakistan, working for gay rights and HIV awareness comes with significant risks.

    As an activist and the founder of PridePakistan.org, I faced constant threats and discrimination with increasing conservative societal norms and legal challenges. It was dangerous to advocate openly for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of gay men.

    If you are an HIV positive refugee in Finland, it’s important that you have access to essential healthcare and support services. I have written down some key points to help you navigate through possible challenges you might face.

    My journey from Pakistan to Finland was not easy but Hivpoint’s Health Buddy program helped me to continue working for HIV positive community members in Finland. That is why I created this little guide based on my experience for HIV positive refugees in Finland.

    1. Disclosure of HIV Status to Authorities

    As a refugee, you should disclose your HIV status at your first interaction with authorities even though you might feel afraid because of discrimination or stigma.

    It is essential to tell about your HIV status so your treatment will continue or it will be started as soon as possible.

    I have learned that when you talk about HIV status at one immigration camp, the information is not shared to other staff members. That is why you have to tell about your HIV status in each new camp.

    2. Get Connected to Hivpoint and Positiiviset ry HivFinland

    People living with HIV do not have to deal only with HIV but also with societal and internal stigma. Therefore, it is vital to tell the authorities and your nurse if you have psychological needs.

    Hivpoint and Positiiviset both have regular activities and program for people living with HIV. There you can meet with other HIV positive individuals to discuss everyday things. I find peer support very helpful during my process.

    As an HIV positive individual, I always wanted to discuss HIV related issues with other people living with HIV. Peer support has helped me dealing with internal and societal stigma.

    At the street chalk event 2024 organized by Positiiviset ry, Ali draws and makes art about human rights, equality and hope.

    3. Getting tested for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

    Even if your HIV is undetectable, you can still get other STIs when having sex. Ask your nurse or doctor to get tested for STIs. It would be good to get tested if you’ve had unprotected sex (sex without condom or dental dam) or condom has broken.

    You could get tested for STIs at Hivpoint’s free and confidential STI testing services. In addition, Pro-tukipiste offers services for those who are selling sexual services.

    Here you can read more about medical care of refugees and asylum-seekers in Finland.

    4. Other Health and Legal needs

    Apart from getting essential health and HIV services on time, you might also have some other needs. You can get help from Hivpoint and other associations.

    Hivpoint is offering counselling and leisure activities for people living with HIV, and those can keep you to engage in healthy way on ground. In addition, you can participate in Positiiviset gatherings and activities for HIV positive people.

    Who to contact?

    You can join Pride Helsinki community’s closed refugee support groups. There you will get connected to other queer refugees in Finland and participate in queer and LGBTQI+ events.

    If you do not have legal representative for your refugee hearing, you can contact The Finnish Refugee Advice Centre (Pakolaisneuvonta) for legal matters.

    If you are selling sexual services and you would like to have support or health services, you can contact Pro-tukipiste

    Get help from here >> Help for Victims of Human Trafficking, if you are a victim of human trafficking.

    It is crucial for your physical and mental health to continue your HIV treatment without a gap. In addition, it would be good for you to participate in association activities. It will help your mental health during the long process of your refugee hearings.

    Whether you are in a big city or in distant area it is essential to contact with Hivpoint and other associations. You could do it online or face to face. If you came to Finland alone, you don’t have to be alone anymore.

    Via these platforms mentioned above you can find similar people who can understand you. I recommend that you never hesitate to contact and get help from Hivpoint.

    Health Buddy Ali visiting Hivpoint´s office at Kalasatama.

    Ali visiting Hivpoint´s office at Kalasatama 2024.

    Ali Raza Khan
    The writer is one of Hivpoint’s Health Buddies 2024

    The orginal article is posted on Hivpoint.fi website, read more on their website here:

    https://hivpoint.fi/en/general/a-guide-for-hiv-positive-refugees-in-finland/

    or on their social media facebook here

    www.facebook.com/Hivpoint/posts/1021619813339882

    and instagram here

    https://www.instagram.com/p/DDtXgz7BEVJ

  • From Pakistan to Finland – My Journey as a Health Buddy and an HIV-positive Gay Activist

    From Pakistan to Finland – My Journey as a Health Buddy and an HIV-positive Gay Activist

    Hivpoint's Health Buddy Ali is smiling and sitting in an arm chair in a cozy, colorful room. The room is decorated with house plants and a Pride flag. On top of the photo, there's a quote: "The Health Buddy Program had a positive impact on my mental health. It provided me an opportunity to exercise my identity in a new society."

    In this year’s blog series, we present the writings of Hivpoint’s Health Buddies 2024 in which they reflect on their own journey in promoting sexual health.

    Health Buddies spread knowledge about sexual rights and sexual health, including HIV and other STIs, in migrant and refugee communities. Let us present to you our wonderful Health Buddy Ali Raza Khan.

    My name is Ali Raza Khan, and I am an HIV-positive gay activist from Pakistan. My journey from Pakistani society to Finnish society has been one important chapter of my life. 

    As the founder of Pride Pakistan, I have been advocating for the health and rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly gay men in Pakistan. However, due to threats to my life and discrimination based on my HIV status, I sought refuge in Finland where I am continuing my activism.

    Refugees’ access to HIV, STI and SRHR services in Finland

    Upon arriving in Finland, I found myself in a refugee center in a few days. There I first heard about Hivpoint, an organization dedicated to HIV awareness, advocacy, and sexual and reproductive health and rights in Finland.

    One of Hivpoint’s volunteers was sharing informative pamphlets which motivated me to continue my HIV and SRHR advocacy work here in Finland. I also realized the gaps that refugees face in accessing HIV, other STI and SRHR services in Finland, particularly living away from major towns.

    Health Buddy program helped me to overcome internal Discrimination and Trauma

    Determined to continue my activism, I applied and got accepted to the Health Buddy program at Hivpoint. The program provided me with an opportunity to continue working openly for the rights and health of gay men.

    Coming from a conservative society where I had to be cautious about everything I said and did, the Health Buddy program had a positive impact on my mental health.

    It provided me an opportunity to exercise my HIV identity and gender expression openly in a new society.

    The most important thing in the Health Buddy program was that I was doing activities with the support and assistance of Finnish expert colleagues that have been working for broader SRHR issues in Finland for years.

    Learnings and experiences from organizing Health Buddy workshops

    As a part of the Health Buddy program, I have organized more than five online and live discussions focusing on HIV, other STIs and SRHR awareness. There have been more than 50 people from diverse backgrounds participating in those sessions. This experience was very helpful for me to move ahead in my career path in a new country.

    Through the Health Buddy training and interaction with participants of my sessions, I came across various perspectives of queer individuals, refugees, South Asians, students, and others regarding HIV and SRHR in Finland.

    Through these workshops, I increased knowledge on safer sex, awareness of HIV and other STIs, consent, sexual rights and gender identity. In addition, I shared information about the availability of treatments and services related to STIs, PEP, PrEP, and contraceptives.

    In the workshops, the participants got to know different condoms, lubricants and dental dams.

    During the workshops, I realized that especially refugee community members still don’t have access to necessary basic information about HIV, other STIs, testing and treatment.

    My message is to continue speaking about HIV

    Despite the advancements and availability of HIV treatment, there is still stigma and discrimination towards HIV-positive individuals. It often leads to HIV-positive people not sharing their experiences or speaking about HIV with their communities.

    It is crucial to continue speaking, sharing information and awareness about HIV, other STIs and LGBTQIA+ communities to end this stigma.

    Ali Raza Khan
    The writer is one of Hivpoint’s Health Buddies 2024.

    Ali Raza Khan, an HIV-positive gay activist from Pakistan, shares their journey as a Health Buddy 2024.

    Read orginal article on Hivpoint.fi website here

    https://hivpoint.fi/en/general/from-pakistan-to-finland-my-journey-as-a-health-buddy-and-an-hiv-positive-gay-activist/

    See post on Hivpoint facebook here:

    https://www.facebook.com/Hivpoint/posts/1017934393708424

    See post on hivpoint instagaram here:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/DDd3TPBvUqp

  • Ali Raza Khan World AIDS Day 2024 Discussion with APCOM

    Ali Raza Khan World AIDS Day 2024 Discussion with APCOM

    Recently Asia Pacific Coalition of Men Having Sex with Men or APCOM had asked me for small interview on World AIDS Day 2024. Below is my discussion with them. 

    Brief bio of yourself

    Ali Raza Khan is a young HIV positive gay activist from Pakistan working for the community since 2015, focused on SRHR, HIV, AIDS prevention and peace. He has worked with multiple local, national & international organizations for the rights of people living with HIV, Men having sex with men and gays. As founder Pride Pakistan he is currently working for men having sex with men gay and other queer community in Pakistan. He is serving as member Communities’ delegation to the board of the Global Fund, member UNAIDS Advisory Group on Monitoring the 30-80-60 targets and co-lead partnership in The PACT. He is laureate HIV HERO Award 2021 by APCOM.

    A quotation on the theme of this year’s WAD theme and what it means to you and your community

    For me and my gay community, taking a right path is a path of decriminalizing men having sex with men and gay people in Pakistan. It is the only and one path that can help to eradicate new HIV infections and achieve UNAIDS 95 95 95 goal. 

    Please answer the following questions (try to stick to two paragraphs): 

    1 – What is the situation of people living with HIV in your country? 

    People living with HIV in Pakistan are facing enormous challenges due to slow progress towards reducing stigma and discrimination during treatment when visiting health care facilities. People from men having sex with men community and gay have to face it worse way as they have to get denial of treatments, discrimination from health care providers when accessing their HIV health care services. We hear on daily basis the special HIV clinics councilors rather than providing counseling on HIV treatment use derogatory remarks each time any HIV positive individual from MSM and gay community visit them. Due to denial of treatment to HIV community members I estimate hundreds of community members have died so far. Apart from this many other community members are unable to bear stigma and psychological torture from government health care facilities resulting in increase in lost to follow up.

    It not only is coming from health care providers only but from work spaces, society and other day to day interactions. We are seeing even key population members held in prison being raped and killed. (1) It becomes more traumatizing for gay community and male sex workers that are unable to openly show their identities in public forums online due to torture and arrest from security agencies torturing gay people on online gay platforms and on ground.

    On the other hand, there are increases in new HIV cases due to deteriorating health care system and pressure on healthcare facilities. Quack doctors also contributing into this along with societal practices. We see new and new outbreaks of HIV infections in general public. Such as a few days ago in Multan home town hospital dozens of kidney patients got HIV during negligence in dialysis treatment. (2)

    The overall there is huge societal stigma and discrimination based on criminalizing laws all contributing towards increased cases of HIV infections in MSM and gay community. That is why I believe decriminalization of same sex and gay community is the only solution to curb the new HIV infections and achieve 95 95 95 targets.

    2 – What and how are you/your organization doing to address these challenges? 

    We are working on empowering community by raising awareness around MSM & Gay community issues and providing capacity building trainings around their health and rights. We have been organizing focus groups discussions, safe space gathering and capacity building sessions benefiting thousands of people so far. 

    We are doing advocacy online and offline for the rights of men having sex with men and gay people. We are working with partners global to use diplomatic voice and influence to work around decriminalizing. It is important to bring the voice of gay community members on spotlight and in visibility that never gets highlighted despite the fact that MSM and gay people are one of the most vulnerable key populations.

    3 – What support do you/your organization need?

    With decreasing funding for community work and restrictions and crack down by authorities for organizations working for men having sex with men, gay and queer community it is becoming difficult for gay organizations to operate. Our organization is also struggling with sustainable funds for the running cost of our functions and salaries. Making most of our members working on volunteer basis. We need essential running cost to ensure uninterrupted work for our Pride Pakistan community.  

    4 – Anything else you wish to add?

    I believe the work we are doing for capacity building and empowerment of men having sex with men and gay people is difficult with a lot of hurdles coming ahead on our way but we will continue to do so because that is the rights path. I wish one day other stakeholders and the government will also be able to take that rights path.

    Read more on APCOM website Here:

    WAD 2024: Ali Raza Khan

    Or on references Here:

    1.

    Prisoner killed after ‘sexually assaulted’ in AIDs ward of Adiala Jail

    2. https://www.dawn.com/news/1873577