Ethnic minorities in Hong Kong come from diverse cultural backgrounds with varying attitudes, beliefs, and practices related to sexual health. Proper sexual health education that is sensitive to its cultural context can help bridge this gap and provide understanding and acceptance of different viewpoints, as well as removing stigmatisation, improving awareness, and creating a supportive environment.

Mission for Ethnic Minorities’ Sexual Health – MESH – offers free and anonymous HIV testing and condoms at their centre and during their regular outreach programs, alongside compassionate emotional support sessions with registered social workers, helping to address the mental and emotional toll that STIs (sexually transmitted infections) and HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) can lead to. These services are also available free of charge to all migrant domestic workers in the city.

Cultural taboos can sometimes prevent individuals from seeking the help that they need. MESH addresses these challenges by training volunteers from the community to provide tailored sexual health advice in their native tongue, allowing them to speak more frankly and accurately, thus making sensitive conversations less daunting and easier to understand.

Three MESH volunteers, Mardy, Suci, and Aljen, share their stories of working with the community.

Mardy Ayana Casa

Mardy has been working in Hong Kong for many years. She has witnessed many fellow migrant domestic workers (MDWs) in relationships, and heard first hand about the problems they have faced with their partners and their sexual health. She became one of the very first MESH peers – they reach out to fellow MDWs on the street and distribute literature about sexual health, sometimes offering relationship advice if required.

“There is nothing wrong with having a relationship, but you should know how to take care of yourself by using sexual protection and safe sex methods. It not only protects you from disease, it can also protect you from an unplanned pregnancy,” says Mardy.

Suci Ayu Fitriani

Coming from a town in Indonesia with the third highest number of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) cases in the province, Suci realised she had a few misconceptions about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) whilst attending a MESH workshop at TCK Learning Centre (a non-governmental organisation that brings education to Indonesian MDWs in Hong Kong).

“We still think about sexual health as taboo. We don’t talk about it in our culture, and some even get offended when we mention it during our community outreach walks,” Suci shares. 

However, it is an important topic, and MESH peers often have to breakdown the taboo and stigma of STIs in order to spread awareness. “I often tell people I meet during outreach to not always rely on contraceptive pills, as they can never be 100% sure that their partners back home are abstaining from sex. Using condoms is better as they don’t interfere with hormones and prevent HIV transmission,” Suci says. 

“Remember, there is no medicine for regret,” she adds.

Aljen Cruz

Aljen started volunteering for MESH earlier this year, inspired by her personal belief that health and self-care should be top priorities for MDWs. 

“One common issue that I have observed in the MDW community is the fear and lack of knowledge around HIV. Most have this wrong perception that the virus can be transmitted by a mere handshake,” Aljen shares.

“Another misconception is that most people who get STIs are the ones who are at higher risk of HIV. I inform them that the virus does not have exemptions on who to infect. It is the lack of knowledge and awareness that is dangerous,” she says. “I encourage those who are sexually active to get regular HIV/STI tests, even when you don’t think you are sick; it is better to be safe and 100% sure.”

Aljen shares some advice to fellow MDWs here in Hong Kong: “Being healthy means not only our physical health but also our mental and social well-being.

“We need to educate ourselves and stop spreading the stigma about HIV. Our body is our responsibility, so take care of it and love yourself!”

Sexual health fast facts

• You cannot tell if someone has an STI without proper testing. One of the most overlooked facts about STIs is that they are spread largely because people don’t even realise they’ve been infected; many people do not show any symptoms at all, hence the importance of getting tested
• Sperm can live up to 5 days in a woman’s body. Using hormonal contraceptives like the pill, injection, or vaginal ring are effective at lessening the likelihood of pregnancy; however, only condoms provide protection from both pregnancy and STIs
• Although oral sex does not cause pregnancy, it can still transmit STIs

MESH is one of the service teams under AIDS Concern, whose mission in Hong Kong is to achieve Triple Zero:

• Zero new HIV infections in Hong Kong
• Zero stigma for people living with HIV
• Zero AIDS deaths