30 New HIV Cases Recorded in Philippines Every Day

Some 30 new HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infections are recorded in the country every day this year, a sharp rise from one in 2008, four in 2010, nine in 2012, 17 in 2014, and 26 last year.

In its latest report, the HIV/AIDS and ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP) recorded 1,013 new HIV-positive individuals last June, 944 of whom were male and 69 were female.

Of the total, half or 507 were in the 25-34 age group; 321 in the 15-24 age bracket; 153 in the 35-49 age range; 24 were 50 years old and above; and eight were less than 15 years old.

HARP also reported that 125 had developed full-blown AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), and that 29 had died of the disease last June.

The National Capital Region topped the list based on the number of cases per region with 360 (36 percent). It was followed by Calabarzon with 173 (17 percent), Central Luzon with 114 (11 percent), Central Visayas with 85 (8 percent), and the Davao region with 41 (4 percent). The remaining cases came from the rest of the country.

Sexual contact continued to be the primary mode of transmission with a total of 969 cases. Homosexual contact accounted for 554 cases; bisexual contact, 264 cases; and heterosexual contact, 151 cases.

A total of 25 cases shared infected needles, and seven were cases of mother-to-child transmission.

A total of 72 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were also found to have acquired HIV/AIDS in June, majority of whom were infected through sexual contact.

The June figure brings to 5,401 the new HIV cases reported in the first half of the year. It also brings to 641 the number of AIDS cases, and to 216 the number of deaths in the first six months of the year.

Since 1984, when HIV/AIDS was first reported in the country, a total of 45,023 HIV cases have been recorded, along with 4,306 AIDS cases and 2,185 deaths.