17 new HIV, 2 AIDS cases reported

The Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday there were 17 new cases of human immunodeficiency virus infection reported last month, bringing to 2,140 the total number of HIV cases recorded since 1984.

The DOH also registered two cases of full-blown Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) — a 28-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman.

In its HIV-AIDS registry, the DOH noted that of the 17 new cases, eight were men while nine were women, with their ages ranging from 20 to 48 years. All of them contracted the virus through sexual contact; 13 were heterosexual; three were homosexual; and one was bisexual, according to the DOH.

The records also show that overseas Filipino workers account for 821 of the 2,410 HIV/AIDS cases, of which 289 were seafarers (35 percent), 139 domestic helpers (17 percent), 70 employees (nine percent), 62 entertainers (eight percent), 56 health workers (seven percent).

These health workers include nurses, caregivers, health educators, medical technologists, midwives, pharmacists, physical therapists, dentists and physicians.

The DOH said sexual intercourse remains the "predominant mode of transmission" of the virus, accounting for 92 percent of cases, followed by transfusion of contaminated blood, needle prick injuries and intravenous drug use.

In November, an official of the Philippine National Aids Council warned that the Philippines was on the brink of an "explosion" of cases of HIV infection and full-blown AIDS.

Dr. Roderick Poblete said while the number of reported HIV cases is low compared to other countries such as those in Africa where one out of four persons has been reported to be infected, the Philippines faces the threat of an HIV "epidemic explosion."

"The use of condoms has been largely disregarded and our studies show that 60 percent of our population believe they cannot contract HIV, while another 23 percent falsely believe that a cure for HIV and AIDS has already been discovered," he said.

Poblete also said the increasing "sexual adventurism" of the Filipino youth is one of the factors that could trigger an explosion of HIV cases. He could not immediately cite how many HIV cases remain unreported.

He said that the latest studies show the "painful reality" that a majority of the confirmed cases of HIV range in age from 15 to 49.

"These are employees, workers, students, and other people in the prime of their lives," Poblete said. "They belong to the age group that is most productive and pump-priming the economy."

He warned that should the number of HIV-infected people increase, this would inevitably result in "social disharmony" arising from strong discrimination against them.