Pay It Forward

One of the things I appreciate about the HIV+ community in the Philippines is that everyone tries to help everyone else out. One of the things that having HIV makes you feel is lonely, but that's only at the start. Once you start reading about how people are dealing with having HIV, and once you start interacting with others who also have HIV, it definitely gets better.

Aside from setting up this blog, I eventually plan to help out as an HIV+ counselor. Soxie's ex-bf is a counselor with the Love Yourself Project, and he was saying how the group needs more HIV+ counselors. If someone tells you that everything is going to be OK, it has a little more weight when the person telling you has the same thing that you do or if they are going through the same thing that you are. I'll only be able to start training as a counselor though when I get back to Manila permanently.

In the meantime, I set up a new PlanetRomeo account. I was inspired by HIV_Reactive who also created a PR account just so that he could spread the word about HIV prevention and testing to the LGBT community. PR really is the place where most gay and bisexual men go to find partners, so it makes a lot of sense to spread the word on that site. The more people come out as HIV on the site, the more people will hopefully think twice before having unprotected sex.

Within 2 hours of setting up my PR account, I had already had a few meaningful conversations with other members. One guy said that he was really scared of taking the HIV test because he had contracted another STD a few years ago and has been terrified since. He is not out to anyone and is so scared that he doesn't want to take the test alone. I said if I was in Manila I would go with him and I gave him my number. I really hope he takes the test soon, just for his own peace of mind, but if he doesn't then I can go with him to the health center as soon as I get to Manila.

Another guy who lives in Manila, but is actually from the city I live in, said that he had a partner who he took care of for 6 months before his partner passed away due to AIDS. I said wow you're an amazing friend, I wish there were more people like you in the world. I asked if he was HIV+ too and he didn't answer, which I completely understand. He was super supportive of me, and we texted for a bit. Hopefully we'll meet each other either when I get to Manila or when he comes home to my current city.

There were a few more people who messaged, and thankfully all of them have been good experiences. I haven't had to deal with any assholes yet, and hopefully I won't have to. I may have done a lot of crappy things in my life, but I'm hoping to make up for it by helping others out. Eventually I hope I can do so using my own name and not just my pseudonym.