CEBU, Philippines - An alleged commercial sex worker died after 10 years of battling Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and left two of her three children afflicted with Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
In an interview with The Freeman, the older sister of the sex worker who died last July said she learned about her sister’s condition when she was brought to a public hospital in the city.
The older sister said that she thought her sister was suffering from Hepatitis C but based on the death certificate, it was due to AIDS. She said she was also told that her 9-year-old nephew and 2-year-old niece were found positive with HIV.
The woman reportedly knew that she had the disease but opted not to tell her family.
“Bag-o lang ko nasayod sa tinuoray nga sakit sa akong manghod sa dihang kini na ospital sa nilabay nga bulan. Nitug-an siya nako nga dul-an sa napulo na kini ka tuig nasayod nga naa siya’y HIV apan wala lang mosulti kay nahadlok nga basin og dili namo dawaton nga iyang pamilya,” the older sister said.
The older sister disclosed that her sister was a commercial sex worker for many years. She said her younger sister used injectable drugs with her lover who also died because of AIDS a few years back.
Further, the family is seeking help from any institution that can take care of her nephew and niece, who are in need of medical care.
The Cebu City Health Department is currently taking care of the two children and plans to take them to a proper institution that could help them. Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella ordered the Department of Social Welfare and Services to assist the children.
Also, a religious group, SVD Friends of the Poor and the Marginalize, headed by Brother Paul Bongcaras, is helping the family cope with the stigma.
“Angayan gayud mawagtang ang stigma pinaagi sa pagtabang sa mga tawo nga dunay HIV, ug likayan kanunay ang paghimo sa mga butang nga maoy hinungdan sa makamatay nga sakit,” Bongcaras said, adding that by following the teachings of the Church, like abstinence and faithfulness to ones partner, people can prevent being infected by AIDS and other diseases.
Dr. Daisy Villa, chief of the City Health Department, confirmed that the 29-year-old woman, who died in July, was their patient since 2010.
According to Villa, they had a hard time monitoring her because she missed several regular checkups in the center. She only came back few months before she died.
Villa said the woman underwent two weeks of treatment for tuberculosis and was scheduled for one week of anti-retroviral treatment but her body was already weak.
According to this year’s study conducted by the Department of Health-7, Cebu City has the highest prevalence rate of HIV infection among major cities in the country in terms of males who engage in sex with males. (FREEMAN)