HIV/AIDS in the Philippines

Abstract

From +32. (when the first case of AIDS in the Philippines was reported) to December ,**/, there were ,,.+* cumulative confirmed seropositive cases recorded in the AIDS Registry of the Department of Health (Figure +) of which +,03, (1* ) were asymptomatic and 1+2 (-* ) were AIDS cases at the time of initial report. Majority (03 ) of the cases were in the ,* -3 age group and 0(+,/,3) were males (Figure ,) Sexual intercourse (20 ) was still the most frequently reported mode of transmission (Table +). Of the ,,.+* HIV seropositive cases, 2,+ (-. ) were overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) (Figure -). Since HIV antibody testing is a requirement of receiving countries for Filipinos applying for work, about half of new cases of HIV infection reported each year are OFWs. Compared to its neighboring countries, the rate of infection in the Philippines has been described to be low and slow with an overall prevalence rate of less than + percent (*.*). The low prevalence of HIV infection in the country has been attributed to the following possible conditions : the sex workers had fewer sex partners, few men engaged in anal sex, low ulcerative STI prevalence, small IDU population, the Philippine geography which limited travel and the early and accelerated multi-sectoral response of the Philippine government to prevent an HIV epidemic. However, the high prevalence of sexually transmitted infection , the persistently low condom use (Figure .) and the existence of injecting drug users are continuous threat of a possible rise in the rate of infection in epidemic proportion.