Norhayati Mohd Amir, 34, research nurse

Every last Tuesday of the month, Norhayati braves the sleaze on Kelantan Lane to start her volunteer session at a little-known clinic. It's a place most people would want to avoid - the Anonymous Testing and Counselling Service run by non-profit Action for Aids (AFA).

"When I first started volunteering at the clinic in 2008, most of my friends were shocked - they were concerned that I'd be exposing myself to the deadly Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) virus," shares Norhayati. Those worries are of course unfounded - the clinic volunteers take necessary precautions (one disposable needle per patient, for instance).

As a research nurse, health care has always been a driving passion for Norhayati so it was natural for her to look within the same field when the idea of volunteering occurred to her. "I had the time as my work ends in the afternoon, so I was all for it when a friend suggested that I volunteer with AFA. Especially since the Aids cause is where help is most scarce - and most needed."

At the clinic, Norhayati meets anxious women who walk in to test anonymously for HIV via an oral fluid or a blood test. "You might be surprised to learn that those who come to our Female-Friendly Clinic on these Tuesday evenings are not sex workers, but regular working women. And they're filled with fear."

That's when Norhayati steps in. "From the registration to the pre-testing counselling to the actual test, it's all about reassuring them. Because just coming forward takes courage and that should be encouraged."

In the 30 minutes or so that she gets to spend with them, she also asks about their sexual history and habits before gently addressing any concerns or misconceptions. "I also encourage them to stand their ground if they want to refuse having unprotected sex with ¨their partners."

It's a place her younger self would have never imagined being in - talking about such intimate matters with people she barely knew. "I was so shy and quiet when I was in school," she recalls. "But volunteering has really forced me to open up. I can connect with people so much more easily now."

It's also brought her emotions a little bit closer to the surface, simply because of the gravity of the situations she sometimes finds herself in. The sadness can be overwhelming, especially when she has to break the news to those who are HIV-positive. "It's the hardest thing to do. I can never say things like 'I know how you feel' because I don't know how they feel." She does her best. "I stay strong because I want to let them know that they can get support from us. And that everything will be okay."

This year, AFA is focusing on getting more women to get tested (hence the introduction of the Female-Friendly Clinic). So in addition to the weekly two-hour slots she devotes to the Female-Friendly Clinic, Norhayati is involved in organising the All The Ladies campaign, an ongoing effort to encourage women to view regular HIV screening as a right to good health.

"It really is," she emphasises. "Each of us is responsible for our health, so keep yourself safe. Ultimately, that's the only way we can embrace life."

Encourage the women in your life to go for regular HIV screenings at #01-16, 31 Kelantan Lane or call 6254-0212.