the

growingstatistics.
AccordingtothelatestdatafromthePhilippineDepartmentofHealths
EpidemiologyBureau,thenumberofindividualswithHIVnewlydiagnosedperday
roseto22lastyear,fromjustonein2008,fourin2010,ninein2012and17
in2014.
Injustonemonthin2015(July),therewere682newcasesregistered,17percent
morethanthesamemonththepreviousyear.Ninetyfourpercentofthemwere
maleandtheaverageagewas27.HalfoftheindividualsdiagnosedasHIV
positivebelongtothe25to34yearagegroup,while30percentwereyouth
aged15to24.
Intermsofmodesoftransmission,themostcommonwassexualcontact(663
cases),and86percentofthesexuallytransmittedcaseswereamongmaleswho
havesexwithmales.Theothermodesoftransmissionwereneedlesharingamong
drugusers(17cases)andmothertochildtransmission(twocases).
TracingitsbeginningsinthePhilippines,HIVinfectioninthecountrywasfirst
reportedin1984.BetweenJanuary1984andJuly2015,atotalof27,138cases
werereported,with

themostdramaticincreaseinthenumberofcaseshappeninginthepastfive
years,accordingtothesamegovernmentdata.Eightyfourpercent(or22,714)
ofthe27,138diagnosedcaseshavebeenreportedsinceJanuary2010.
Intheearlyyearsoftheepidemic,from1984to1990,62percent(133of216
cases)werefemale.However,from1991,moremaleswerereportedtobeinfected
withHIV.
Between2010and2015,malescomprised95percent(21,601)ofthereported
22,714cases.
Astheyearshaveprogressed,individualsdiagnosedHIVpositivehave
increasinglycomefromtheyoungergeneration.
Theagegroupwiththebiggestproportionofcaseshasbecomeyounger:from
2000to2004,itwas30to39yearsfrom2005to2009,itwas25to34years
andfrom2010to2015,itwas20to29years.Notably,theproportionofPeople
LivingwithHIVinthe15to24agegroupincreasedfrom20percentin200509
to28percentin201015,thelatestHealthDepartmentreportsaid.
DrJovenCuanang,neurologistandchairofaprivatehospitalinthePhilippines,
saidthatbecauseofthegrowingincidenceofHIVinthePhilippines,themedical
communityfeelstheurgentneedtoraisethepublicsawarenessoftheissue,
addingthatItsalreadyanepidemic.
Cuanangexplainedthatinhishospital,StLukesQuezonCity,thetopthree
neurologiccomplicationsofHIVareinfectionsofthecentralnervoussystem,
malignanciesandlymphomas.OtherHIVrelatedcomplicationsontheriseinclude
dementia,viralinfectionsandneuropathies.
AccordingtoCuanang,healthcareworkersarebecomingmoreandmoreaware
oftheproblemandhestressesthatmostcasesofHIV/AIDsarepreventableby
goodhealtheducation.
Againstthisbackdropofagrowinghealthcrisis,thePhilippineCongressrecently
eliminatedcontraceptivefundinginthe2016nationalbudget.Thiscutsvital
supportforlowerincomeFilipinoswhorelyonstateprovidedcontraceptive
servicesforprotectionfromsexuallytransmitteddiseasesandforsafebirthspacing
andfamilyplanning.

Accordingtoareportpublishedin2013,upto50percentofpregnanciesinthe
Philippinesareunintended,largelyduetolackofavailabilityofmodern
contraceptiveservices,especiallyamongthepoorersegmentsofsociety.
Thebudgetcutthreatenstorollbackhardfoughtgainsinmaternalhealthand
reductionsininfantmortalityoverthepastdecademadepossiblebygovernment
subsidizedorfreecontraceptiveservices,HumanRightsWatch(HRW)saidina
commentary,addingthatitalsorisksexacerbatingthecountrysHIVcrisis.
TheUnitedNationsPopulationFundhasalsocriticizedthecongressionalactionas
athreattothebasichumanrighttohealthaswellastherightto
reproductivechoices.
AccordingtotheUN,thePhilippinesisoneofonlyahandfulofcountriesatriskof
afullblownAIDSepidemic.
Asthingsstand,thePhilippinesisindeedfacinganAIDScrisis.Authoritiesmustdo
morebyraisingawareness,improvingpubliceducationontheissueand,attherisk
ofearningtheireoftheCatholicChurch,keepondistributingfreecondoms,
especiallytothepoor.
Permalink (https://newint.org/blog/majority/2016/02/05/philippines-hiv-epidemic/)|
PublishedonFebruary5,2016byIris Gonzales (http://newint.org/contributors/irisgonzales/)|2 (#comments)
Themes:
Aids (/themes/health/aids/)
Poverty (/themes/politics/poverty/)
Philippines (/themes/regions/southeast-asia/philippines/)
Tags:
contraceptives (/tag/contraceptives)
HIV/AIDS (/tag/hiv-aids)
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