Safe Space

Our mission statement

The mission statement is the foundation of our work. The core values described here are central to the culture and working atmosphere at Checkpoint Zurich; they influence the quality and effectiveness of our daily work. They also define the way we deal with our clients. To ensure the sustainability of these values, we consciously nurture them and constantly check whether we are living up to them.

Who we are

Checkpoint Zurich is a health center specializing in queer people. We are a place where people can get non-judgmental information and advice about their sexual health, as well as medical, psychological and social support. Through our work on site and testing directly in bars, clubs or saunas, we make an important contribution to prevention. We are a center of excellence for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI), queer mental health, and innovative prevention projects. We do not exclude people, completely regardless of their sexual orientations and gender identities.

With our range of services, we are the largest STI health center in Switzerland. Our employees in the fields of medicine, psychology, medical counseling and treatment, prevention and social work ensure optimal care for our clients.

The Checkpoint Zurich is supported and financed by the associations Arud and Sexuelle Gesundheit Zürich SeGZ.

Our mission

Our professionals inform, counsel and/or test and treat people in all questions concerning sexuality and sexual health in all psychological life situations, in each case according to the latest scientific knowledge. Through our trans counseling services, we are also a center of excellence for trans mental health.

We facilitate fear-free discussion of all potential topics, promoting a satisfied, low-risk, and self-determined sexuality for all people.

We promote measures that curb the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. With our non-judgmental and transparent approach, we help break down society’s stigmas regarding HIV and the queer community. At the same time, we promote a responsible approach to one’s own sexuality and, in addition to prevention at Checkpoint Zurich, we also conduct outreach prevention work in places where queer people move.

Our vision

As a pioneering organization, Checkpoint Zurich has a groundbreaking and opinion-shaping effect on the health of queer people. We promote measures that enable our clients to live a self-confident, responsible and risk-reduced sexuality. We help to reduce prejudice and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, especially towards people living with HIV. We are thus making a relevant contribution to ending the HIV epidemic.

Our attitude

We respect and promote the personal lifeworld of our queer clients. We treat everyone with respect, regardless of their history, sexual practices or substance use. We support our clients in living out their sexuality and their queer lifeworld in a self-determined, low-risk and enlightened way. No one should experience discrimination with us. Our approach to treatment is committed to ensuring the best possible quality of life.

Social commitment and political attitude

We are engaged in public relations and politics for a pragmatic, scientifically based and solidarity-based health policy also for queer people. As professionals, we advocate for improved framework conditions and against the stigmatization of queer people as well as people living with HIV.

Constant willingness to change

Innovation requires each and every individual to be ready for change. We participate in this change process with our ideas and skills and consider successes and also mistakes as valuable to move forward in our process.

What we offer

We offer our clients comprehensive counseling and treatment in the areas of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, psychiatry and psychotherapy, trans health care, prevention in and outside the checkpoint, and social work. We help reduce the impact of the STI epidemic in Switzerland and end the HIV epidemic, and promote empowered and informed sexual as well as mental health for queer people.
Our approaches are based on the latest scientific findings and broad practical experience in the field of infectiology and psychotherapy. Through our own research focus and collaboration in national scientific projects, we actively contribute to new findings and make our knowledge available nationally and internationally.

Our Clients

We take our queer clients seriously as people and clients. We regard clients, relatives, referring physicians, other health care organizations and authorities as our customers and partners. We carry out our consultation, clarification and treatment competently, carefully and with commitment, and advise and treat according to the latest scientific findings. Questions and problems are always taken seriously by us. We communicate with our clients clearly, openly and honestly and respect clients in their individuality and personality.

Collaboration and respect

Our cooperation is based on mutual appreciation. We respect each other as responsible individuals who support common goals with their professional skills and personal commitment. We treat each other with respect – regardless of gender, age, religion, ethnic and social origin, physical or mental capabilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, function and employment status. We see diversity in the team as a strength and benefit from it. We are also open and tolerant towards critical opinions and cultivate a climate that enables open and transparent communication. We approach conflicts with a solution focus. We address and actively cultivate our corporate culture, especially with regard to how we treat each other.