Health Education Programs
There are several components to the PASHA health education programs. One component involves educating Iranian Seniors locally within our community in Southern California. Given the growing population of Iranians in the United States over the last several decades, a notable part of our community is now comprised of seniors. PASHA has begun programs to educate this population about health and well-being. In collaboration with our faculty advisors and physician colleagues we have generated presentations in Persian. After receiving training, our student health educators visit Iranian Senior centers and provide information on pertinent topics such as nutrition, stroke, and heart attack. These presentations focus on prevention, early disease detection, and health living habits.
PASHA’s health education program also aims to educate Iranians all over the world on important health topics. Via internet-based presentations on YouTube, we are providing easily accessible health information in Persian.
Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of Iranian-American Youth towards Sexuality and Sexual Heath
Sexual health among Iranian-Americans is a pertinent yet frequently neglected topic. As a community, we are often forced to reconcile modern societal norms with traditional family and cultural values. This process may result in confusion which manifests in different aspects of life, including sexuality and sexual health. This topic is often considered taboo and is not talked about openly, making our population susceptible to inadequate knowledge. The aim of our survey is to further understand the magnitude of this knowledge void with the ultimate goal of devising culturally sensitive programs to provide Iranian American youth with the knowledge to take control of their health and engage in safer sex practices.
Mentoring Program
PASHA aims to encourage young individuals to become involved in community health and global health efforts. The undergraduate chapters of PASHA frequently sponsor events at their college campuses, providing information on career choices, graduate school application, and involvement in health efforts. please visit our university chapters page to learn about upcoming events at different campuses.
Bone Marrow Drive
PASHA is proud to work with the National Marrow Donor Program and the Persian American Cancer Institute (PACI) in creating a bone marrow registry for Iranian Americans. Bone marrow transplantation is a treatment for often deadly conditions including certain forms of leukemia. Unless an appropriate match is found, the body will reject donated bone marrow. The likelihood of finding an appropriate match within the same ethnic groups is greater (people of the same heritage are genetically more similar).
To become a bone marrow donor visit www.marrow.org and use PACI2 as the promotion code.
Blood Drive
PASHA’s undergraduate study body is dedicated to encourage blood donations within the local community. In conjunction with the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center we hold several blood drives annually. Through these drives, we have had the opportunity to provide for those in need of transfusions and mobilized our students to take on initiative and experience leadership as they coordinate these events.
