KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — Fizol (not his real name) is in between jobs.

Having an interest in the food and beverage industry, he moved to Kiuala Lumpur from Pahang a little more than a year ago. During that time, he has worked as a chef.

More recently, he has been diagnosed as HIV positive.

“I had been wanting to get tested. Then, my friend, who knew someone doing this project, brought me for a test. It didn’t matter if I was positive or negative. I wanted to know,” he said.

Fizol is among the clients under the Kuala Lumpur AIDS Support Services Society (KLASS) pilot programme that helps men who have sex with men (MSM) get services such as testing, care and treatment.

KLASS and Intan Life Zone in Johor Baru are two non-governmental organisations chosen for the pilot project funded by the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

“Of course, I was depressed in the beginning. But what is in the past stays in the past. It is important to look ahead,” said the 23-year-old, adding that he normally met other MSM through social media apps.

“I knew about HIV and STIs (sexually transmitted infections). But there were times when I didn’t use a condom. You know how it is when you really want it and the other person doesn’t want to use a condom. So, you do without,” he said.

He is being treated at a health clinic and is not on anti-retroviral (ARV) medication as his immune system is within normal range.

“They just have me on medication to prevent TB,” he said, adding that only his KLASS case worker and a close friend knew about his status.

“I don’t get so lonely with them around. It helps having them. My case worker is with me to go to the hospital. I have not had sex since I was diagnosed in September. I never thought of looking for a partner to settle down. Now, I am.”

For Wan, 24 his first sexual encounter was in boarding school where he was raped by seniors on a daily basis. He wanted to transfer out of the school but was stopped by his mother.

“I could not tell her the truth. So, I stayed. It was either submitting to the seniors or be bullied. It got to a point where I had to figure out did I like girls or boys since I had had a girlfriend before,” he said.

“After a few months, I realised I liked men.”

He has had more than 50 partners since his boarding school days and has not been in a “proper” relationship — a situation he is hoping to change.

He also “hooks up” using social mediai apps.

His HIV positive diagnosis earlier this year has him on ARVs.

“I have informed my parents and boss. My mother says I am still her son and it is fated. My boss is also okay with my status,” said the sales promoter.

“It doesn’t matter if you are gay or straight. If you put yourself at risk, you can get infected.”

KLASS case management specialist Azlan chose to remain in the field and help MSM get the help they need although he is qualified in finance.

“I just want to help. This is my field of interest,” he said.

Azlan is on call 24/7 and his job specifications include helping clients get tested, contact tracing, ensuring the clients go for their check-ups and counselling.

He has 152 clients, who are either positive or negative in their HIV status.

For those who are negative, he keeps in touch with them to ensure they periodically test themselves.

“I help keep them at ease and to let them know they have a friend,” he said.

He “enlists” MSM into the programme through social media apps and word of mouth.

KLASS MSM pilot project programme manager Reuben Kiew said it was found after initial research that MSM rarely frequented usual spots like parks and spas anymore.

“We found that they were hooking up via social apps. So, that was a new way of reaching out to them,” he said.

They currently have 206 clients with about 22 per cent testing positive for the virus.

There were also those who had STIs like syphilis, gonorrhea and herpes.

Kiew said there was also MSM who took drugs like crystal meth.

This led them to have less inhibitions and upped the possibility of practising unsafe sex.

Intan Life Zone MSM programme project manager Bertlin Ng said using social media apps created a situation where a potential client would have to choice to meet after they were comfortable to meet up.

They have 170 clients. A hundred have been screened for HIV and from this 20 tested positive.

“The response has been quite good since we started the programme. There are more people aware of it,” Ng said.