Yassi Ashki
Iranian health activist and founder of RAH Foundation.
Yasaman Ashki, known as Yassi Ashki, is an Iranian health activist who founded the RAH Foundation and the Ctrl+S website. She moved from Tehran to the United States in 2011 to attend Indiana University.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Yasaman Ashki
- Born
- 1981
- Birthplace
- Tehran/Iran
- Spouse
- Massih Bahar
- Occupation
- Health activist, Co-Founder & CEO of RAH Foundation
Facts from the source article.
Life
After reading pamphlets about STDs, Ashki realized she had never been taught about them. She and Iranian friend Narges Dorratoltaj created a sexual health website for Persian speakers. Ctrl-S launched on Ctrlstd.com in 2014, featuring translations of about 800 articles from the Mayo Clinic, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Planned Parenthood. The team grew to over 50 people. The founders run a nongovernmental organization registered in the United States as RAH Foundation and in Iran as Ctrl+S. They negotiated with Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education to run sexual health workshops in mosques and schools, and train volunteers for rural communities. In 2015, they launched Hide and Seek under RAH Foundation, focusing on awareness and education about child sexual abuse.
Mah-e Asal
Ashki appeared on the Iranian live television program Mah-e Asal on 29 May 2018. She discussed her life and the need for HPV vaccines in Iran, stating she was diagnosed with HPV and an autoimmune disorder with symptoms sometimes similar to AIDS. Filmmaker Rakhshān Banietemad announced support for Ashki after watching the interview. Ashki's comments were doubted and criticized by people and several sources as containing false or misleading information.
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