What is SASMHA?

Brown kids have sex and need therapy, too.

That's what guides the South Asian Sexual and Mental Health Alliance, or SASMHA. And we know there’s plenty of our brown peers out there who stay up late fretting about it. SASMHA is a community for South Asian youth and young adults across the diaspora who need a space to dialogue and learn about issues key to who they are, even (and especially) if our aunties and uncles don’t want to talk about it.

We’re creating a community and culture by us, for us, without taboos.

It’s hard being a third-culture kid. SASMHA aims to bridge the divide between staying true to our roots while being able to fully express ourselves as happy and healthy people.

That's great and all, but what does SASMHA do?

SASMHA is helmed by four community organizers who seek to create engaged communities for South Asian young people across the diaspora, focusing on adolescence to early adulthood. We seek to fight cultural stigmas, educate, and empower the South Asian American community by providing resources on the issues most important to us, from sex and sexuality to mental health.

We offer virtual and in-person community workshops, a resource hub, a podcast, and share community voices through our blog. Our goal is to provide opportunities as a community to discuss and act on our unique experiences as Asian American young adults on the topics considered taboo or under-represented in our cultures, including: identity development, sexual health, reproductive health, mental health, racism, LGBTQ+ issues, community-building, consent, and healthy relationships. We welcome input and collaboration from all those of self-identified South Asian and South Asian American descent and interest, including but not limited to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, and of the Indo-Caribbean diaspora.

Want to collaborate with us? Share your story? Need resources? Or want to request a workshop? Get in touch with us at info@sasmha.org, or contact us through our form.