Ilocos HIV cases on the rise

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines – The number of human immuno deficiency virus (HIV) positive cases in Region 1 is alarming and half of it is from Pangasinan, according to the chief of the government’s Social Hygiene Clinic here.

Dr. Jocelyn Tongson, coordinator for sexually transmitted disease/HIV-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (STD/HIV/AIDS), told local newsmen during the opening ceremonies of the World AIDS Day celebration the other day, that there are now 139 HIV cases in the Ilocos region, with all the four provinces, – Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte having said cases.

But out of this figure, Pangasinan has the most number of cases with 63 out of the 139 cases in Region I, she said.

“That is already alarming because that is only those tested but how about their sexual partners?,” she said.

She said that their sexual partners might have had sexual contacts with other persons which make the situation complicated, yet they remain unchecked.

Tongson, however, said that no one was tested HIV positive so far from Dagupan City “based on those we had already tested since 2005 when we started doing free HIV testing.”

She said there is a need for the city and the province to intensify their campaign against the deadly virus especially now that most of the victims belong to the younger age bracket.

“The national figure now for HIV cases has reached 5,729 from January1984 to October 2010. Of this data, 77 percent are male. More than 1,123 belong to the 15-24 age bracket and 55 cases belong to those less than 15 years old,” Tongson said.

She said among the victims, there had also been deaths but could not reveal them.

She said authorized medical practitioners monitor the conditions of the HIV-positive patients.

He said guest relations officers in this city conduct regular paps smear check up. But she said that it is a misconception that AIDS or HIV can be acquired only by having sex with commercial sex workers and gays. She noted that the number of men having sex with men is increasing.

“AIDS doesn’t spare anyone and it remains incurable,” she said. 

She said only Dagupan City and Urdaneta have existing HIV/AIDS Councils formed in year 2003. She hopes the provincial government will soon have its own, too.

Part of the information, education and communication campaign of the Social Hygiene Clinic is providing lectures and seminars for students in various schools.