I volunteer at the Magnet men's health center in the Castro as an HIV test counselor. My job is basically to administer the twenty minute rapid test that tests for the existence of HIV antibodies in the body.

I never thought I'd do this line of volunteer work. When I was attending Cal Berkeley I did work as a research assistant for graduate students in the psychology department. This was natural because I was a psychology undergrad. I wanted to prepare myself for possible work as a psychology researcher. After two years of doing research work though I realized that research was not something I was interested in.

Regardless of that, I graduated from Cal with a B.A. in psychology but never seriously considered going into social work or work as a therapist or psychologist. I just didn't think I would be that interested in listening to other people go on about their problems.

About a year go I went to Magnet and met a very cool counselor. After that meeting I had decided that I wanted to volunteer there as a counselor. I got trained and now I've been there for a few months administering tests and talking to guys about their sex habits and any risky behaviors they may be engaging in.

I like this line of work. It surprised me that I actually enjoyed listening to people talk about what was going on in their life. Kinda odd, but I guess I'm one of those persons that likes to listen. That's not to say that I don't like people listening to me. Just ask my friends. I can go on and on forever about whatever is on my mind.

Oh and Magnet is a great place to volunteer and get tested. Thank you Dale and Kevin and Adrian and everyone at Magnet! You guys make the Castro, San Francisco and the Bay Area a much healthier place to live.

Obligatory stay health statement: If you are a sexually active person, you owe it to yourself and your partners to get tested. Remember to stay healthy and safe!