Services currently available in-person and online • Masks required at all of our locations and other safety protocols are in place • Click for details ›

Magnet

Welcome to Magnet

Quality sexual health care means getting access to an entire list of services you need to maintain your health. Magnet, our sexual health clinic in the Castro, has been your place for STI testing and treatment, HIV testing and linkage to care, PrEP services, anal health services and more.

Since 2003, Magnet has served the community believing that we each are able to make our own decisions about health and wellness, that everyone should be able to access health care, that we all have a right to satisfying sex lives free from guilt and shame, and that diversity makes our community stronger.

Magnet is located on the second floor at Strut, 470 Castro Street, San Francisco.

Our Services

Sexual Health & Testing HIV, hep C & STI testing; linkage to treatment, anal health care, hormone level checks, pregnancy tests & more   HIV & STI Testing Free testing for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at multiple locations across San Francisco   STI Treatment Get care for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, vaginal candidiasis, bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis and more   PrEP & PEP Highly effective HIV prevention medication with benefits navigation and insurance support    Condoms & Safer Sex Supplies Free internal and external condoms, lube, dental dams and other safer sex supplies    Anal Health Treatments for anal fissures & anal warts, testing for rectal STIs and info about butt health topics   TransCare Services Hormone level checks, social support, PrEP services and more for trans, non-binary, genderqueer, and GNC.   Vaccinations We offer free vaccinations and immunizations, effective ways to prevent the transmission of serious diseases.  
Get your test results & make appointments through our online client portal. If you have not activated your client portal, please call the services navigation team at 415-581-1600 to have it turned on.
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Hours of Operation

Magnet is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 7 pm.

Schedule an appointment ahead of time by calling 415-581-1600. If you’d like to start PrEP, make an appointment online.

A very limited number of same-day sexual health appointments are available each day. These appointments are first-come, first serve. To book a same-day appointment, grab a ticket from the ticket machine outside the building starting at 9:30 am each day, and come back at 10 am when we open. If you aren’t back at 10 am or if you lose your number, we will give your spot to the next person. Same-day appointments are generally between the hours of 10:30 am – 12:30 pm, but may also happen later in the afternoon. Getting a ticket does not guarantee there will be an appointment available on the same day.

If you have symptoms of a suspected sexually transmitted infection or have had a recent HIV exposure, please call 415-581-1600 and select option #3 to be connected with the nursing team at Magnet. They will be able to coordinate services and testing for you.

With questions about HIV care or PrEP, call our navigation team at 415-437-3450, press option #2. You can also email questions about PrEP to prep@sfaf.org and questions about HIV services to assist4HIV@sfaf.org.

All clients are required to wear masks while in the building. Masks are available if clients do not have access.

"I've been to a lot of different places to test and out of them all I really love Magnet and particularly this location in Castro. The counselors are sweethearts and they are very nice and professional here. It's very conveniently located.”
Krishna V.

Magnet Express

Magnet Express is a walk-in service for sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing. Magnet Express is an available option if you have been to Magnet for testing before and are returning for routine testing. With Magnet Express, your visit will be approximately 10-15 minutes so there’s only a limited time to talk about concerns or ask questions about your sexual health. During your visit, a phlebotomist will draw your blood and you’ll get instructions about how to collect swab samples for STI tests on site.

If you currently have symptoms of an STI or if you’ve recently been exposed to an STI, please visit Magnet for a full sexual health visit. Please call us if you have any questions at 415-581-1600.

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Number of unique Magnet clients served in Fiscal Year 2019

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Number of HIV tests provided in Fiscal Year 2018

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Estimated percentage of PrEP provided in San Francisco through our program

Meet Our Team

Jasmin Alvarez, CPT 1

Director, Clinical Operations

Spanish

Pronouns: She/her/hers
415-437-3409
jalvarez@sfaf.org
Read Bio

Spanish

Pronouns: She/her/hers
415-437-3409 jalvarez@sfaf.org

Jasmin Alvarez, CPT 1

Director, Clinical Operations

Jasmin Alvarez is the director of clinical operations at San Francisco AIDS Foundation, joining first in 2015 as a lab technician. Jasmin was born and raised in the Bay Area and has deep roots in the heart of the Mission where she grew up. Having lived in a Latinx Community most of her life, she has experienced health disparities firsthand with herself, her family, and her friends. That’s one reason why she advocates for marginalized communities and has a passion for health rights.

Working in laboratory fields, Jasmin makes connections with clients by listening to their stories, experiencing and the challenges they face every day just to take care of themselves. Their stories are the drive and passion behind her work. When she’s not working to dismantle racism and misogyny in the workplace, Jasmin is kept busy by her two loving dogs who would do anything for a tennis ball.

Janessa Broussard RN, MSN, AGNP-C

Vice President, Medical Affairs

Pronouns: She/her/hers
415-581-1600
jbroussard@sfaf.org
Read Bio

Pronouns: She/her/hers
415-581-1600 jbroussard@sfaf.org

Janessa Broussard RN, MSN, AGNP-C

Vice President, Medical Affairs

Janessa Broussard, RN, MSN, AGNP-C directs clinical services at San Francisco AIDS Foundation, overseeing the provision of HIV prevention/PrEP, sexual health, HIV and hepatitis C care; services for transgender and non-binary clients; and clinical research. She is passionate about creating models of care that address the needs of communities with unmet needs, including LGBTQ+ individuals, people experiencing homelessness and people who inject drugs. She is proud to oversee multi-site clinical services for these communities at SFAF with a nurse-led team that continues the legacy of nurses being at the forefront of HIV care. In the coming years, Janessa is excited to lead efforts to expand PrEP access to more locations and priority communities, building on the strong PrEP program established by SFAF’s clinical team.

Prior to joining SFAF, Janessa specialized in LGBTQ care and HIV primary care at the UCSF Clinician Consultation Center, as an HIV primary care nurse practitioner at CPMC Davies, and at East Bay AIDS Center (EBAC). She also worked for more than eight years as an RN in the Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant Center at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. Since June 2018, Janessa has served as the president of the Association in Nurses in AIDS Care, Golden Gate Chapter. She received her adult geriatric nurse practitioner primary care (AGNP-C) degree with an HIV focus from University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She is currently pursuing a nursing PhD in sexual and gender minority research at UCSF, with research that will contribute to the development of comprehensive sexual and gender minority care guidelines, with attention to social justice in health care.

Jorge Roman, RN, MSN, FNP-BC, AAHIVS

Clinic Director

Spanish

Pronouns: He/him/his
Read Bio

Spanish

Pronouns: He/him/his

Jorge Roman, RN, MSN, FNP-BC, AAHIVS

Clinic Director

Jorge Roman oversees clinical services at Magnet, the sexual health clinic at San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Passionate about health care delivery for clients living with HIV and HIV PrEP, Jorge came to SFAF in 2019. Prior to that, he worked at OLE Health where he led efforts for LGBT inclusion and culturally appropriate care.

Jorge holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) from the University of California, San Diego, and a BS and a Master of Science from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Jorge is passionate about bringing about health equity through health care delivery that focuses on BIPOC communities. Jorge lives in Sonoma with his partner of over 20 years and beagle Tucker.

DO I NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT?

You can either make an online appointment or walk-in for a same-day sexual health services including testing for HIV and screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Please call us if you have any questions at 415-581-1600.

DO I NEED A FULL SEXUAL HEALTH EXAM?

If you think you might have symptoms, want to talk to a clinician, are a new client, or have been exposed to an STI, you’ll need a full sexual health visit. You can make an appointment online or walk-in for a same-day appointment.

I’M A NEW CLIENT. HOW DO I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT?

New clients can make an appointment online. Please note: The online appointment system will ask you how you will pay. There are no costs associated with your visit, but we are unable to remove this question. Please select “Cash Pay” so that you can book your appointment. There is no charge.

I’M AN EXISTING CLIENT. HOW DO I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT?

Existing clients may make appointments by accessing your online patient portal or through the Healow App.

DOES MAGNET TAKE WALK-IN APPOINTMENTS?

Yes, Magnet serves a high volume of walk-ins each day. Clients who arrive first are served first. Appointments cannot be taken over the phone. Due to high demand for our services, appointment slots can fill up quickly, so if you choose to walk in we recommend arriving early in the day before we open to schedule your appointment.

CAN I COME IN FOR A MAGNET EXPRESS VISIT?

Magnet Express is a walk-in-only service. To avoid a wait, avoid early morning walk-in times. Walk-in Magnet Express appointments are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed.

Mondays and Saturdays from 10:30 am – 1 pm, and 2:30 pm – 4 pm
Fridays from 10:30 am – 1 pm, and 3 pm – 4 pm
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 am – 1 pm, and 2:30 pm – 6 pm

WHEN DO I GET TEST RESULTS?

Results are available 10 business days after your visit. Please do not come back for results before this waiting period. Results of rapid HIV tests are given the same day.

If any of your tests come back positive, we will contact you and ask you to come back for treatment.

Individuals with negative test results are not contacted. You will be able to see your test results in your online patient portal.

I MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO HIV IN THE LAST 72 HOURS. DO I NEED PEP?

For people who have potentially been exposed to HIV in the previous 72 hours, we offer full Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) services with a full month of the medication provided for free. PEP should be considered if you were sexually assaulted, if you were stuck by a needle or if you shared injection drug use equipment with someone of an unknown HIV status, or if you had a condom break or you had condomless anal sex with a person of unknown HIV status or someone with a detectable HIV viral load. People with undetectable viral loads do not transmit HIV.

If you think you need PEP, call us at 415-581-1600 before coming to Magnet so that we can be sure that we can see you. If we are unable to see you, we can refer you to another clinic for PEP. PEP should be taken as soon as possible and within 72 hours after the potential HIV exposure. Every hour counts. Do not wait – call us right away.