RECORD-BREAKING
PH logs the highest daily record of HIV cases worldwide
by Liandrei Crisostomo
Department of Health (DOH) expressed alarm over the rising number of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) cases in the country with the highest daily record of 55, the highest in the world last May 22.
Former DOH spokesperson Eric Tayag noted that the majority of these cases are within the 25 to 34-year-old age group, however, there is also an alarming increase in HIV cases among younger individuals, with some as young as 15 years old.
According to the National Institutes of Health, HIV infection can be transmitted when certain body fluids are shared such as blood, semen, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, and breast milk. The sub-population with the highest risk of acquiring HIV is among men having sex with men.
DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa mentioned that minors who tested positive for the infection needed parental consent to obtain Antiretroviral therapy (ART), the treatment used to manage HIV and prevent the progression to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). However, they struggle to obtain parental consent as this could reveal their gender identities.
“Nawawala sila tapos bumabalik sila 18 years old with full-blown AIDS. Mamamatay na ‘yon.” Herbosa lamented.
Significantly, a 2021 study by the University of the Philippines’ Population Institute found that youth awareness on HIV and AIDS declined to 76 percent, the lowest level since 1994.
This study reveals that the rising cases of HIV infection among adolescents highight the lack of knowledge and awareness of the youth on the nature of HIV and AIDS.
Among the youth who have heard of HIV and AIDS, 35 percent of the young people did not believe that using a condom during sex could reduce the risk of acquiring HIV infection, contrary to multiple evidence mentioning its effectiveness.
According to the Department of Education (DepEd)’s Rosalie Masilang, HIV was part of the sex education curriculum and students are informed about condoms, however, they are not taught how to use them.
“This means more information needs to be disseminated to correct the perspectives of the young people on HIV/AIDS,” said Vicente Jurlano, a professor at UP Population Institute.
In relation to the lack of sex education in the country, there is also an alarming rise in cases of teenage pregnancy, as reported by the Commission on Population and Development (CPD). In 2022 alone, the country recorded a total of 3,135 births from girls younger than 15 years old — a 35.13 percent hike from the 2,320 recorded in 2021.
“If they become pregnant, most likely they will stop school,” Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said.
Jurlano added that DepEd should recheck their comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) programs to prevent them from dropping out.
Furthermore, Plan International Philippines, a non-government organization that advocates for children’s welfare, called for the proper implementation of CSE to help young individuals develop a sense of responsibility when engaging in acts of physical intimacy.
Many barriers are still slowing down as CSE’s implementation remains to be hampered by the lack of funds from the government and the conservative ideologies of various religions and cultural groups in the country.
According to HIV and AIDS Support House co-founder Desi Andrew Ching, many schools still do not allow the discussion of condoms or sex while our culture still demonizes sex.
The Catholic Church, composed of more than 86 percent of Filipino Roman Catholics, mentioned that CSE may encourage premarital sex, which is against the ideologies of the Church. This hinders the efforts of CSE to inform the youth about sexual health.
“You don’t encourage them to have sex, but basically, you allow them to make responsible decisions,” Erickson Bernardo, a youth advocacy officer for Likhaan, asserted.
To this day, the Philippines continues to record the highest number of teenage pregnancy cases in Asia and the fastest-growing HIV epidemic in the Asia and Pacific region.
