South Asian and Middle Eastern men who have sex with men

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Proudly offering dedicated Sexual Health and well being services for South Asian and Middle Eastern MSM (Men who have Sex with Men) and gay, bi, trans, queer or questioning men.

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About our South Asian & Middle Eastern MSM service

Birmingham LGBT Sexual Health services is a community partner of Umbrella Health (University Hospitals Birmingham, NHS) and is committed to providing quality accessible and culturally competent services for all sections of the LGBT community.

Our specialist South Asian & Middle Eastern MSM Sexual Health and Well being service is delivered by our South Asian & Middle Eastern Sexual Health Outreach Worker. This dedicated role is here to provide ‘one to one’ support which includes signposting, referrals, information and guidance, with a focus on enabling access to appropriate sexual health and well being services.

MSM is a grouping term we refer to as ‘men who have sex with men’ but this does not exclude anyone who does not relate to this but still may identify as a gay, bi, trans, queer or questioning man.

This service will:

  • Identify and reduce the barriers South Asian & Middle Eastern MSM people may face when accessing healthcare.
  • Raise awareness among South Asian & Middle Eastern MSM around sexual health and well being issues, and updates that are relevant to them.
  • Raise awareness of health inequalities and barriers faced by South Asian & Middle Eastern MSM within wider services, and address these though training, education and health promotion, including HIV/STI testing services.

Why is this service important?

As South Asian and Middle Eastern MSM and gay, bi, trans, queer or questioning men we may experience a range of issues including pressures to get married, forced marriage, honour-based violence, stigma, prejudice, racism, homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.

There may often be a lack of understanding around various types of sexuality and gender identities often stigmatised from our own culture and communities. These conflicts in relation to culture, faith and religion can lead to further isolation, anxiety and stress.

At Birmingham LGBT, we offer a safe, supportive, confidential, private and non-judgmental well being service that is person centered focused.

We are here to listen and support you. We are here for you.

How can this service benefit me?

One of the main benefits of this service is being able to talk to someone from a South Asian background who can listen to your concerns which may be related to cultural conflicts.

We understand that for some people talking to another South Asian person may not be helpful or appropriate, which is why we have a diverse Health Promotion Team that is inclusive of LGBT+ people and workers that identify as LGBT allies.

We can offer regular well being ‘one to one’s’ to listen to your concerns around sexuality, faith, culture, and the impact this has on you, or any other general topics you need to discuss. https://blgbt.org/wellbeing-support-service/

We can listen to your concerns and where appropriate we can refer or signpost you to our specialist main services which may help such as Peer Mentoring, Domestic Abuse and Counselling.

Yarana – South Asian & Middle Eastern Group

Our face-to-face support group, created to help bring South Asian & Middle Eastern LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, trans, queer/questioning and intersex) people together. Our aim is to create a safe and welcoming space and promote positive health and wellbeing.

For more details please call 0121 643 0821
Email: naazimqureshi@blgbt.org

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If you have any enquiries, questions, or if we can help in any way, we’d love to hear from you 

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