As an outreach volunteer with ACCKWA, Manu Kahlon spoke with and presented to gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in Waterloo Region. ACCKWA is an organization dedicated to creating a future where HIV, hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted or blood-borne infections are rare in Waterloo Region.
Manu, a pharmacy student of the class of 2017, worked toward that goal as an ACCKWA volunteer, bringing valuable information and services to a group of people who often experience stigma, discrimination, and vulnerability in accessing health care services.
“Being part of the LGBT community I have always had an interest in working with the population,” says Manu. “Combining my passion for health care with my interest to serve and work with the LGBT community was a very rewarding experience, and I learned so many valuable lessons from the people I met.”
For example, Manu discusses how he went in with a certain set of expectations based on the risk factors and studies he learned about as a pharmacy student.
"What I quickly discovered is that the group is so rich in diversity and values, and the right care for one individual may be quite different compared to the care required for another. Central to the providing the best care is adapting the care to the patient and individual in front of me."
Through his work with individuals who identify as MSM, Manu also heard stories and witnessed first-hand the barriers that prevent them from accessing healthcare services or medications.
“One common theme across my rotation was these barriers often stemmed from lack of knowledge from health care practitioners including physicians and pharmacists,” he explains. “I realized that to be an advocate I have to encourage and teach my fellow health care practitioners about the barriers this population already faces and to remain open and knowledgeable to health care applied to different sexual practices.”
Inclusivity of all types is central to ACCKWA’s mandate. Manu came to appreciate this as he volunteered: often he conducted outreach to diverse audiences, sharing ACCKWA’s educational resources with those people.
“ACCKWA is an inspiring organization,” Manu reflects. “They have a strong commitment to the inclusion of all individuals. Often education for MSM and gay men focuses on young, white, male culture, but ACCKWA strives to include individuals from all races, ages, religions, and so on.”
The organization provides learning materials that span all types of people so that volunteers like Manu can conduct advocacy work in an inclusive fashion. Manu, who is a class of 2017 graduate of the School of Pharmacy, plans to continue volunteering with ACCKWA as a practicing pharmacist.
“Volunteering with ACCKWA lets me align my professional and personal goals. I have learned quickly that if you are working on something that you are passionate about, it hardly feels like work at all. I want to challenge myself to pursue care with this population as an area of focus of my career.”
Interested in volunteering with ACCKWA? Visit their website for more information.